Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1999
Cover page
Canadian dairy tokens
These tokens are part of the National Currency Collection at the Bank of Canada.
Photography by James Zagon.
November 16, 1999
November 15, 1999
Markets for Government of Canada Securities in the 1990s: Liquidity and Cross-Country Comparisons
In this article, the author reviews the factors behind the recent evolution of liquidity in the market for Government of Canada (GoC) securities. He finds that liquidity has been supported by changes in the structure of the market, notably the introduction and increasing size of benchmark bond issues. He also notes that while the GoC bond market has generally benefited from changes in market structure, liquidity in the treasury bill market has decreased since the mid-1990s, largely because of the declining supply of these securities. This article also presents some comparisons of liquidity in the government securities markets of other industrialized countries and finds that liquidity in the Canadian market appears to compare favourably with all but the large U.S. Treasury market.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Financial markets
November 14, 1999
Real Exchange Rate Indexes for the Canadian Dollar
In this article, the authors explain the methodology used to construct real exchange rate (RER) indexes. They also compare and assess various Canadian RER indexes from both an empirical and conceptual standpoint. The authors conclude that both theory and empirical evidence suggest that the best RER indexes are those based on unit labour costs. They note, however, that, for practical reasons, policy-makers should also consider RER indexes based on prices when formulating monetary policy.
Content Type(s):
Publications,
Bank of Canada Review articles
Topic(s):
Exchange rates