TORONTO (Standard&Poor's) Feb. 28, 2008--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today said its ratings on the Bank of Montreal (BMO; A+/Stable/A-1) and its subsidiaries remain unchanged following reports that the bank could face up to C$495 million in additional write-offs related to two of its asset-backed commercial paper trusts that it sponsors. The problems surrounding Apex and Sitka are just part of the bad news BMO has been facing in a tough capital markets environment. Although the prospect of yet another substantial write-off early in the reporting season is clearly a disappointing start to fiscal 2008, and although the bank's bottom line results will suffer, BMO's financial position is strong enough to manage the additional burden without any ratings