Foreign investors added $7.4 billion of Canadian securities to their holdings in September, led by acquisitions of federal treasury bills.
Statistics Canada reports Canadian investment in foreign securities slowed to $718 million and remained focused on foreign stocks.
Non-residents acquired $7.2 billion of Canadian short-term securities in September, just short of the $7.4-billion high of July 2011.
For the third quarter, non-residents’ investment in Canadian money market instruments was $16.2 billion, surpassing the high of $9.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Non-residents removed $612 million from their holdings of Canadian bonds in September, following a $6-billion acquisition in August.
Canadian investors added $1.3 billion of foreign stocks to their portfolios, led by acquisitions of U.S. corporate shares.
Canadian investors reduced their holdings of foreign bonds by $469 million, mostly U.S. corporate bonds.
Canadians also reduced their holdings of foreign money market instruments by $151 million in September, all U.S. treasury bills.