RBC Capital Markets Inc. continues to lead the debt market league tables for Canada, according to new data from Thomson Reuters.

The firm said Wednesday that during the first quarter, Canadian debt capital issuance volume reached $36.6 billion from 82 issues, representing a 5.7% increase over last year. RBC was the top underwriter in the quarter, with a market share just shy of 25%. TD Securities Inc. ranked second and BMO Capital Markets was third.

Government-guaranteed, provincial and municipal bonds led Canadian debt issuance activity in the first quarter, raising $19.7 billion from 42 issues, Thomson Reuters reported. Financials and the energy & power sectors were the second and third most active sectors, with $15.5 billion from 25 issues, and $3.3 billion from nine issues, respectively.

During the quarter there were five maple bonds issued in Canada, the highest corporate maple issuance level since the first quarter of 2007. Scotia was the top underwriter in that segment, followed by TD and RBC. Also, supranational and sovereign maple issuance, which had been at a standstill since the first quarter of 2008, also resurfaced in the first quarter, with one $50.0 million bond issued, led by TD Securities.

IE