Agencies Announce Public Meeting on Proposed Bank of Montreal Acquisition of BancWest Holding Inc. and Bank of the West; Public Comment Period Extended — 2022-05-17

The Federal Reserve Board (Board) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced a joint public meeting on the proposal by Bank of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, and BMO Harris Bank National Association, Chicago, Illinois, to acquire BancWest Holding Inc. and Bank of the West, both of San Francisco, California. The purpose of the public meeting is to collect information from a wide range of stakeholders as the agencies evaluate the proposed applications. By law, the agencies are required to evaluate: the convenience and needs of the communities to be served by the combined organization; the insured depository institutions’ performance under the Community Reinvestment Act; competition in the relevant markets; the effects of the proposal on the stability of the U.S.