OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says foreign investors reduced their holdings in Canadian securities for the second time in two months in March, selling off $2.1 billion in mostly debt instruments.
Meanwhile, Canadian investors bought $7.8 billion in foreign securities in March, the biggest monthly acquisition in nearly five years.
These purchase were concentrated in equities.
Non-residents sold $1.5 billion in Canadian money market instruments in March, the third straight month of divestment.
Most of the sell-off was in treasury bills.
In the first quarter, non-residents cut their holdings of Canadian short-term paper by $7.7 billion, following three quarters of rising investment.
