Study

Research Providers

Canada
2026
October 22, 2026

It was a busy year in the Canadian capital markets and for the country’s top sell-side research providers.

“It was a very active year,” confirmed Walter Spracklin, head of Canadian Research at RBC. “A number of emerging themes took hold, most notably the disruptive power of AI, which drove considerable sector flows. Sectors rotated quickly, moving in and out of favor as the narrative shifted. It was also a busy year for new equity offerings, and our analysts worked hard to get clients up to speed on each one.”

In 2026, the research team at TD Securities reported once again having to navigate a complex mix of macroeconomic forces, including trade and tariff uncertainty, commodity-price volatility, geopolitical tensions, government efforts to encourage investment in Canada, and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, according to Andre-Philippe Hardy, head of Canadian Research at the firm. 

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It Was a ‘Complex’ Year. These Canadian Research Firms Cut Through the Noise.
It Was a ‘Complex’ Year. These Canadian Research Firms Cut Through the Noise. October 22, 2026
Methodology summary

Background

2026 marks the eighth year of running the Canada Research Team survey’s commission-weighted results.   

   

Selection Criteria

To select the members of the Canada Research Team, Extel solicited opinions of directors of research and investment professionals at asset management firms, and we received responses from 588 individuals at 346 firms. The names of individuals surveyed are kept confidential to ensure their continuing cooperation.

Participants rated their top firms in each sector and then separately rated individual analysts at those firms to create two distinct rankings for each sector. A numerical score was produced by weighting each vote based on the responding firm’s Canada commissions and the average rating awarded.

This created the Canada Commission-weighted Leader table rankings.

Using those scores, ranks were determined. Firms/Analysts were designated runners -up when their score came within 35 percent of the third-place scores. For the analyst rankings, individuals who switched firms after May 26th are cited at their previous organizations. Voters must meet strict eligibility requirements, and winners must achieve a minimum vote count. All ballots are subject to review by the Research Operations Group. These rankings were compiled by the Research Operations Group.

Survey Information