Bonds

Canada Should Revive Real Return Bonds, C.D. Howe Says

  • Government cited weak demand when cancelling issuance in 2022
  • Report authors say limited uptake not due to investor appetite
A Canadian flag outside the prime minister’s office in Ottawa.Photographer: David Kawai/Bloomberg
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government should consider reintroducing auctions of inflation-linked bonds in Canada, which were canceled nearly two years ago, according to a policy research group.

The country’s Department of Finance opted to end issuanceBloomberg Terminal of real return bonds in November 2022, citing weak demand and an illiquid market for the debt. In a paper released this week by the C.D. Howe Institute, Bill Robson and Alexandre Laurin argue that the limited uptake was not due to a lack of investor appetite, but that the government’s suboptimal offerings were a primary reason the bonds weren’t more popular.