On the Competitiveness of the Canadian Stock Market

Banking & Finance Law Review, Vol. 24, No. 2, 2009

24 Pages Posted: 6 Sep 2008 Last revised: 9 Mar 2009

See all articles by Cécile Carpentier

Cécile Carpentier

Laval University; Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organization (CIRANO); University of Lille II - European Center for Corporate Control Studies

Jean-Francois L'Her

Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) ; Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Jean-Marc Suret

Laval University; Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organization (CIRANO)

Date Written: September 3, 2008

Abstract

Even if the competitiveness of the Canadian securities market is a central argument in the ongoing debate related to the proposal of a single securities commission, the exact level and the evolution of this market are largely undocumented. The numerous changes that modified the structure of the securities market during the last twenty years probably explain this lack of evidence. Two dimensions of the market's competitiveness deserve attention. The first one is the proposition that the Canadian market is unable to compete with other markets in attracting and keeping new listings and transactions. The second one is the proposition that a discount penalizes firms that finance in Canada relative to the U.S. We address the first proposition by carefully analyzing the evolution of the Canadian market from 1990 to 2007 in terms of market capitalization, number of listed companies and trading volume. We then compare the increase observed in Canada with similar data from other countries. We analyze the discount argument in light of recent studies that explain this phenomenon, and document this discount on other markets. The objective of this paper is to provide documented evidence that could ground the debate on the optimal regulatory structure for the Canadian market.

Keywords: Stock market, competitiveness, Canada, cross listing

Suggested Citation

Carpentier, Cécile and L'Her, Jean-Francois and L'Her, Jean-Francois and Suret, Jean-Marc, On the Competitiveness of the Canadian Stock Market (September 3, 2008). Banking & Finance Law Review, Vol. 24, No. 2, 2009 , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1262874

Cécile Carpentier

Laval University ( email )

Pavilion Palasis Prince
Quebec, Quebec G1V 0A6
Canada

Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organization (CIRANO) ( email )

2020 rue University, 25th floor
Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7
Canada

University of Lille II - European Center for Corporate Control Studies ( email )

2 rue de Mulhouse
BP381
Lille, 59800
France

Jean-Francois L'Her

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ( email )

One Queen Street East
Suite 2600
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2W5
Canada

Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) ( email )

1000, place Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Montreal, Quebec H2Z 2B3
Canada

Jean-Marc Suret (Contact Author)

Laval University ( email )

Accounting School
Quebec, P.Q. G1K 7P4
Canada
418-656-7134 (Phone)
418-656-7746 (Fax)

Center for Interuniversity Research and Analysis on Organization (CIRANO) ( email )

1130 rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Bureau 1400
Montreal, Quebec H3A 2M8
Canada

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