 Bank of Montreal NYSE: BMO, Canadas fourth-largest bank, is acquiring the San Francisco-based Bank of the West from BNP Paribas OTC: BNPQY in a 16.3 billion cash transaction. What Happened: The Montreal-headquartered BMO said the transaction add nearly 1.8 million customers to its client roster while expanding its banking presence with 514 additional branches and commercial and wealth offices. 