Multifamily buildings had some of the lowest cap rates in Canada in the first quarter of 2023. For class A multifamily high rise buildings, investors could expect a capitalization rate of 4.04 percent, while for class AA downtown offices, the cap rate was 5.92 percent. The capitalization rate measures the rate of return on commercial properties and is calculated by dividing the net operating income of a property by its asset value. While a higher rate might promise higher return, it is also an indication of a riskier asset.

As of the second quarter of 2024, power retail properties in Canada had the highest cap rates among different retail properties types, at seven percent. High street retail properties, on the other hand, had the lowest cap rates at approximately 5.25 percent.

As of April 18, 2024, the nine leading real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Canada had a combined market capitalization of nearly 39 billion Canadian dollars. Canadian Apartment Properties had the highest market cap at 7.8 billion Canadian dollars, about three billion higher than RioCan, which held second place. Canadian Apartment Properties is an apartment properties investment trust that specializes in mid-tier and luxury multiunit residential rental properties.

The market cap of real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Canada has decreased dramatically since 2021. As of December 2024, the aggregate market capitalization, or the market value of the outstanding shares of stocks of all REITs, amounted to 32.84 billion U.S. dollars, down from 58.9 billion U.S. dollars in December 2021. REITs are companies that own or finance rental real estate. One of their major benefits is liquidity: Though not all REITs are publicly traded, many of the major ones are, which allows investors to easily buy and sell shares. Because REITs pay out most of their taxable income to shareholders as dividends, they typically do not pay any corporate income tax.

Canadian Apartment Properties was the real estate investment trust (REIT) with the largest market cap in Canada as of April 11, 2024. The market cap, or the aggregate value of the total outstanding shares of the company, was 5.4 billion U.S. dollars during that period. Canadian Apartment Properties also had the third-highest revenue after Choice Properties and RioCan. Nevertheless, Dream Industrial headed the ranking in terms of five-year return on investment (ROI), at 7.58 percent. RioCan's EBITDA margin was also the second-highest, with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization amounting to 65.53 percent of the company's revenue. In terms of dividends, Allied Properties ranked first, with a dividend yield of 9.97 percent.

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) maintained its position as Canada's most valuable bank by market capitalization, reaching 170 billion U.S. dollars in December 2024. Toronto-Dominion Bank held the second position with a market cap of 93.08 billion U.S. dollars, substantially lower than RBC but still significantly ahead of the third-ranked Bank of Montreal. Beyond its market value leadership, RBC also led Canadian banks in terms of total assets. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization provides a key metric for estimating a company's value, calculated by multiplying the share price by the total number of outstanding shares. This measure reflects investor sentiment: when investors perceive a company as undervalued, their buying activity drives up both share prices and market capitalization. However, prudent investors don't rely solely on market cap; they conduct thorough analysis of fundamental metrics, including balance sheet data and other financial indicators, to make informed investment decisions. In 2024, investor confidence in the Royal Bank of Canada was particularly evident, as RBC's share price reached unprecedented levels, setting new historical highs. Key banking metrics Banking institutions can be evaluated through multiple important measures, each offering distinct insights into their operations and market position. Total assets, analogous to a retailer's sales volume, provides a meaningful indicator of a bank's operational scale and market influence through the volume of funds under management. Revenue serves as a more direct measure of a bank's financial performance, reflecting its ability to generate income from its various banking activities. Customer base, perhaps the most straightforward metric, reveals a bank's market penetration and public reach. By this measure, both TD Bank and RBC emerged as Canada's dominant banking institutions, with the largest number of primary banking relationships.

As of July 2024, the market capitalization of Royal Bank of Canada amounted to 154 billion Canadian dollars, which placed the company at the top of the ranking. What is market capitalization? Market capitalization is one of the measures of the financial strength of a company. It shows the value of shares outstanding of a publicly traded company. It is basically calculated by multiplying the number of shares traded on a stock exchange by the price of a single share. Worldwide rankings In the United States, JP Morgan Chase bank had the largest market cap among the U.S. banks, amounting to 688.68 billion U.S. dollars as of January 2025. The bank was also the leader in the global ranking, followed by Bank of America, and ICBC (Industrial and Commercial Bank of China).

In 2019, Canopy Growth Corporation was the Canadian company with the highest market capitalization in the global cannabis industry, with a value of 6.7 billion U.S. dollars.

In 2024, the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores of the largest banks worldwide varied markedly across different score providers. JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank globally in terms of market capitalization, showed a wide range of scores: when standardized to a score out of 100, the highest score was given by MSCI, at 64.3, and the lowest by S&P Global (previously RobecoSAM), at 29, while the score from Sustainalytics had a value of 45. With only one green bond issued since December 2020, JPMorgan Chase ranked tenth among the leading banks worldwide by value of green bond issuance. Growing commitment to sustainability Banks worldwide are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability in their operations. The Net-Zero Banking Alliance, launched in 2021, has grown to include 144 members as of September 2024, with the majority located in Europe. This initiative demonstrates the banking sector's commitment to aligning their operations with the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Members are required to set interim targets and provide annual progress reports, indicating a shift towards more transparent and accountable sustainability practices in the industry. ESG scores and their growing role in investment decisions ESG scores measure a company's exposure to long-term environmental, social, and governance risks. These non-financial factors are a growing concern for investors worldwide, and many of them now integrate ESG data in their investment decision-making to have a positive impact on the environment and society. As a result, the assets of ESG funds worldwide increased considerably in recent years, reaching a value of 480 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. ESG factors cover a broad spectrum of sustainability criteria, but environmental concerns are still the main drivers of ESG investing. Despite rising pressure on companies to decrease their impact on the environment, the carbon dioxide emissions of the largest banks worldwide are still far from sustainable.

In 2024, stock markets in the United States accounted for roughly 60 percent of world stocks. The next largest country by stock market share was Japan, followed by the United Kingdom. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the NASDAQ are the largest stock exchange operators worldwide. What is a stock exchange? The first modern publicly traded company was the Dutch East Industry Company, which sold shares to the general public to fund expeditions to Asia. Since then, groups of companies have formed exchanges in which brokers and dealers can come together and make transactions in one space. Stock market indices group companies trading on a given exchange, giving an idea of how they evolve in real time. Appeal of stock ownership Over half of adults in the United States are investing money in the stock market. Stocks are an attractive investment because the possible return is higher than offered by other financial instruments.