News Release

Vancouver – The B.C. Securities Commission (BCSC) has issued its annual BC Capital Market Report 2022, which shows that capital-raising in the province declined for the first time six years. Even with the decline, 2022 was B.C.’s third-most active year ever for capital-raising.

“B.C.’s investment markets are cyclical in nature,” said John Hinze, the BCSC’s Corporate Finance Director. “The global markets in 2022 showed volatility, due in part to the pandemic, supply-chain issues, inflation, and interest rate hikes. These factors led to a global equity market downturn which, in turn, affected B.C.’s capital market.”

The report combines information from BCSC records and other publicly available information to provide a snapshot of capital-raising activities of B.C. companies and investment funds globally, and capital provided by B.C. investors for non-B.C. companies and investment funds.

After five years of consecutive growth in capital-raising, averaging 12 per cent per year, activity in B.C.’s capital market fell 17 per cent in 2022.

Most sectors and sub-sectors that the BCSC tracks – mining, technology and communication, oil and gas, forestry and utilities, real estate, bio-tech and cannabis – saw declines in capital-raising in 2022, with the exception of banking and finance, which increased 8 per cent.

About the B.C. Securities Commission (www.bcsc.bc.ca)

The B.C. Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:

• A securities market that is fair and warrants public confidence
• A dynamic and competitive securities industry that provides investment opportunities and access to capital.

Media Contact:
Brian Kladko
604-899-6713
Public inquiries:
604-899-6854 or 1-800-373-6393 (toll free)
inquiries@bcsc.bc.ca

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