Auction Timing Under Limited Information: Evidence from Sovereign Bond Auctions Staff analytical paper 2026-51 Jeffrey Gao, Adam Epp This paper examines how auction timing may affect sovereign issuance outcomes through its interaction with market volatility. Using Canada as a case study, it shows that: (1) higher same-day bond market volatility is associated with larger auction tails, indicating weaker demand conditions; and (2) monetary policy announcements and certain macroeconomic data releases are systematically associated with higher same-day volatility. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): D, D4, D44, E, E4, E43, G, G1, G12, G14, H, H6, H63 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Funds management, Market functioning
A New Approach to Estimating Portfolio-Balance Models of the Yield Curve Staff working paper 2026-33 Antonio Diez de los Rios Portfolio-balance models of the yield curve are notoriously hard to estimate. This paper offers a simple, two-step estimation approach that can be implemented with standard term structure estimation methods. In our application to U.S. Treasury data, our method recovers economically interpretable drivers of the yield curve. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E4, E43, E44, G, G1, G12, H, H6, H63 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Funds management, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods
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
Central Clearing in Repo Markets: Do the Benefits Extend to Non-Dealers? Staff analytical paper 2026-31 Danny Auger, Adrian Walton This note examines whether central clearing of repos benefits non-dealer participants in Canadian fixed-income markets. While prior research highlights lower funding and balance-sheet costs for dealers, less is known about client effects. Understanding these broader implications is important for assessing central clearing’s contribution to market efficiency and resilience. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, G, G1, G12, G2, G21, G23 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market structure
Central Bank Crisis Interventions and the Term Structure of Market Fear Staff working paper 2026-17 Mattia Bevilacqua, Jon Danielsson, Lerby Ergun, Andreas Uthemann, Jean-Pierre Zigrand How do central bank crisis interventions calm market fears? Using options data, we measure the perceived risk of large asset price drops across horizons from two weeks to ten years. Studying the Fed's response to the 2020 turmoil, we find asset purchases reduce short-term fears while interest rate actions shape long-term expectations. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): C, C5, C58, E, E5, E58, G, G0, G01, G1, G12, G15 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods
Repo transaction costs and balance sheet frictions Staff analytical paper 2026-10 Yanis Belkacem, Fabienne Schneider, Adrian Walton We develop an approach to quantify transaction costs in the repo market using OTC transaction data, where quoted bid-ask spreads are not observable. By estimating effective spreads at the level of individual trades, we construct a novel metric to evaluate intermediation costs across different segments of the market. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): G, G1, G10, G12, G2, G20 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Financial stability and systemic risk
Macro News in Market Moves: Classifying News through Asset Co-movements Staff analytical paper 2026-7 Bruno Feunou, Jean-Sébastien Fontaine, Rishi Vala This paper introduces CLONE, a method that decomposes asset price movements into aggregate demand, productivity, inflation, and monetary policy news, using stocks, bonds, and inflation swaps. CLONE simplicity and forward-looking focus helps guide policymakers in determining the economic drivers behind asset price movements. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff analytical paper JEL Code(s): E, E3, E32, E4, E44, G, G1, G12, G14 Research Theme(s): Models and tools, Econometric, statistical and computational methods, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission
Transaction Costs, the Value of Convenience, and the Cross-Section of Safe Asset Returns Staff working paper 2025-34 Ragnar Juelsrud, Plamen Nenov, Fabienne Schneider, Olav Syrstad We study the cross-section of equilibrium returns on safe assets using a tractable asset pricing model with a micro-founded demand for liquidity and multiple safe assets with heterogeneous transaction costs. We test the main predictions of our theory using a novel measure of relative (in)convenience yields in the US Treasury market. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): E, E4, E44, G, G1, G12 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk, Models and tools, Economic models, Monetary policy, Monetary policy framework and transmission
The Dealer-to-Client Repo Market: A Buoy on a Swaying Sea Staff discussion paper 2025-14 Greg Adams, Evan Dudley, Jean-Sébastien Fontaine, Sofia Tchamova, Andreas Uthemann In 2024, the Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (CORRA) rose 7 basis points above the Bank of Canada’s target overnight rate as settlement balances declined and hedge fund borrowing increased by $30 billion, straining dealers’ balance sheets. Exercising market power, dealers raised rates, and as client activity grew, these higher rates increasingly influenced CORRAs deviation from target. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff discussion papers JEL Code(s): D, D4, D5, D53, E, E4, E43, E44, E5, E52, G, G1, G12 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, Market functioning, Market structure, Financial system, Financial institutions and intermediation, Monetary policy, Monetary policy tools and implementation
Demand-Driven Risk Premia in Foreign Exchange and Bond Markets Staff working paper 2025-29 Ingomar Krohn, Andreas Uthemann, Rishi Vala, Jun Yang We show how Treasury demand shocks transmit to foreign exchange and bond markets globally. Higher Treasury demand weakens the U.S. dollar and raises foreign bond prices, with effects persisting for two weeks. The transmission varies predictably across countries based on their monetary policy alignment with the United States. Content Type(s): Staff research, Staff working papers JEL Code(s): F, F3, F30, F31, G, G1, G12, G15 Research Theme(s): Financial markets and funds management, International markets and currencies, Market functioning, Financial system, Financial stability and systemic risk