Segmented Inflation Dynamics (SID): Identifying Trend Inflation from the Price Index Staff analytical paper 2026-43 André Binette, Colleen Smith This note presents Segmented Inflation Dynamics (SID), a data-driven tool for assessing trend inflation. SID uses time-series segmentation to divide the price index into contiguous segments with stable inflation rates. Based on data through December 2025, SID indicates that Canada’s trend inflation has been near 2 percent since early 2024. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): C, C2, C22, E, E3, E31, E5, E52 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures
Hedge funds and bond market liquidity dynamics at the onset of the 2026 Middle East conflict Staff analytical paper 2026-42 Vincent Meh, Jabir Sandhu, Andreas Uthemann We investigate whether hedge funds contributed to Government of Canada bond market illiquidity at the onset of the Middle East war in early 2026. We find no evidence they did. Hedge funds remained active in primary auctions, while their secondary market trading remained broadly consistent with their usual relative-value strategies. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): G, G0, G01, G1, G12, G14, G2, G23, G24 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Funds management, Market functioning
Merchant Access to Cash: Going the Extra Kilometer? Staff analytical paper 2026-41 Angelika Welte, Stephen Wild, Patrick Fogaing kouamo In this study, we measure SMBs’ access to cash using the driving distance to financial institution (FI) branches. First, we measure the distance between SMBs and the nearest FI branch. Second, we use a sample of 651 SMBs from the 2023 Merchant Acceptance Survey to examine SMBs’ banking choices. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): D, D8, D83, E, E4, E41 Research Theme(s): Money and payments, Cash and bank notes, Retail payments
Balancing the Canadian Repo Market through QT: The Diminishing Role of Settlement Balances Staff analytical paper 2026-40 Evan Dudley, Jean-Sébastien Fontaine, Dimitri Hadjistavropoulos, Neil Maru, Sofia Tchamova, Andreas Uthemann, Jun Yang Repo market imbalances can be large and persistent, and can lift the cost of short-term funding in Canada, including the CORRA benchmark. Banks’ holdings of settlement balances absorbed most of the repo imbalances during QE, but have become far less central by the end of QT. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E5, E52, E58 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Monetary policy, Monetary policy tools and implementation
Uncovering the use of haircuts in the Canadian repo market Staff analytical paper 2026-39 Sadia Anum, Jabir Sandhu, Adrian Walton We show that haircuts are rarely used in the Canadian dealer-to-client repo market and their usage did not increase materially during past stress events. Usage is concentrated among wealth managers and some foreign official institutions, likely reflecting regulatory or internal requirements. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): G, G0, G01, G1, G18, G2, G23, G28 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market structure, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk, Financial system regulation and oversight
When supply shocks make inflation harder to control Sparks at Bank article Oleksiy Kryvtsov, Rodrigo Sekkel Supply disruptions were a key driver of inflation during the pandemic. If such disruptions occur more often in the future, they could lead to more frequent and persistent periods of high inflation. Central banks could then find it harder to bring inflation back to target while supporting economic activity. Content Type(s): Staff research, Sparks at Bank article Research Theme(s): Monetary policy, Inflation dynamics and pressures, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Tracking Heterogeneous Spending Patterns with Credit Card Microdata Staff analytical paper 2026-38 Jia Qi Xiao, Jackson Reid, Joey Daniels We present a measure of account-level credit card spending constructed using credit bureau microdata, capturing monthly spending for approximately 80% of adults in Canada. Our measure offers higher frequency than other publicly available consumption metrics, and can be disaggregated by age, geographic location and credit history. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): C, C5, C55, C8, C81, D, D1, D14, E, E2, E21, E3, E32, G, G5, G51 Research Theme(s): Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Financial system regulation and oversight, Household and business credit, Monetary policy, Real economy and forecasting
Non-bank financial intermediation: Canada’s submission to the 2025 global monitoring report Staff analytical paper 2026-37 Thomas Thorn, Sylvia Xie We share insights about non-bank financial intermediation in Canada in 2024. These data were collected as part of the Bank of Canada’s contribution to the Financial Stability Board’s Global Monitoring Report on Non-Bank Financial Intermediation. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): G, G2, G21, G22, G23 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market structure, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk
Climate stress test of the global supply chain network: the case of river floods Staff working paper 2026-30 Georgios Papadopoulos, Javier Ojea Ferreiro, Roberto Panzica This study investigates how extreme flood events can indirectly impact the global supply chain through production disruptions. The findings emphasize that the size of inventories is crucial; a lean-inventory system leads to faster shock propagation, higher losses, and fewer recoveries compared to an abundant-inventory system. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C6, C60, C63, D, D8, D85, Q, Q5, Q54 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Structural challenges, Climate change, International trade, finance and competitiveness
September 1, 2026 Quarterly Research Update – 2026 Q2 This newsletter features the latest research publications by Bank of Canada economists including external publications and working papers published on the Bank of Canada’s website. Content Type(s): Staff research, Research newsletters