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Prices for investment banking services in Canada rose in 2018, albeit at a slower rate than the previous year, according to new data from Statistics Canada.

StatsCan reported that its Investment Banking Services Price Index — which tracks prices for underwriting services over time —  was up by 5.0% in 2018, compared with the previous year.

The national statistical agency said that the increase in 2018 was due to higher prices for services associated with corporate-issued equities, which are the product with the largest weighting in the index, and higher prices for securities issued by income trusts.

“These increases were moderated by lower prices for debt securities by government issuers,” it noted.

The 5.0% price rise in 2018 comes on the heels of a 12.0% increase in 2017, StatsCan said.