At the same time, the international appetite for Canadian equities has faded. Foreign investors reduced their holdings of Canadian stocks by $45-billion over the past year, with net selling seen in seven consecutive months.
Those past economic bombshells, however, didn’t seem to sour the overseas investor on Canadian bonds. This time, too, vast pools of foreign capital have remained availablestarted an emergency bond-buying program to inject cash into financial markets. The central bank is now reducing those holdings, including $350-billion worth of federal bonds, leaving a gap to be filled.
That international reception for Canadian sovereign debt contrasts with the pressure on U.S. Treasuries lately. In August, Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. government’s credit rating over concerns about the country’s fiscal position. “While Canada’s credit fundamentals may not be absolutely perfect, Canada possesses a lot of fiscal advantages versus the U.S,” he said.
The big banks have been a main player in this borrowing spree. There are good reasons for them to look beyond Canada’s borders for funding. They may be able to borrow on better terms in the United States and overseas. And flooding the Canadian market with debt could inflate bond yields and widen credit spreads, which translate to higher borrowing costs – and lower profits – for banks.
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