[...] [Translation] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SAVINGS COMPANIES POST LOWER PROFIT MARGINS IN 2007 Montréal, June 17, 2008 - The Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF ) has released the 2007 report on trust companies and savings com panies following its tabling today in the Québec National Assembly by Minister of Finance Monique Jérôme-Forget. The report shows that the profit margins of savings companies, based on overall ac tivities in Canada, fell 22.7% last year, from $2.966 b illion in 2006 to $2.293 billion in 2007. As a result, the net earnings ratio declined from 2.53% in 2006 to 1.91% in 2007. Net earnings of savings companies grew 2.1% over the past year, from $979 million in 2006 to $999.2 million in 2007. Despite lower total rev enues, net earnings were slightly higher as a result of significant variations in taxes, gains on investments and subsidiaries and extraordinary items. The assets of savings companies were down 5.1% over the past year, from $123.411 billion in 2006 to $117.163 b [...]