Report also reveals that capital-raising by BC companies grew by 27% in 2018
A growing number of British Columbia-based companies are listing in Canadian exchanges, according to a new report from the British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC).
The BCSC’s BC Capital Market Report 2018 revealed that the number of BC-based companies listed on one of the Canadian exchanges grew 10% in 2018, representing 1,407 companies –the biggest jump in Canada in 2018. The growth was primarily driven by the cannabis industry, which raised a whopping $4 billion in 2018 – up 280% from the previous year,
Overall investment in the province in 2018 stood at $111 billion, comparatively lower than the $112 billion in 201. While BC companies raised $19.1 billion in 2018 – a 27% increase from the year before –BC-based investment funds only raised $18.5 billion this year, a 26% decrease from 2017.
Investment in BC real estate companies remained steady, attracting $3.1 billion in investment, representing a 1% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, BC mining companies raised $4.3 billion, a 27% from the year before. Despite that decrease, mining remains the most active industry for capital-raising, followed by cannabis and real estate.
"BC's capital markets continue to be an incubator for emerging companies, with our province now home to 44% of Canada's listed companies," said Peter Brady, executive director of BCSC. "Our robust venture markets are proving to be a significant competitive advantage for Canada in the global economy."
