By Robb M. Stewart
OTTAWA--Foreign investors were again targeting Canadian securities in August, including the largest purchase of debt in 17 months.
At the same time, Canadian investors continued to invest heavily in foreign securities, mainly aiming at equities.
As a result, international transactions in August generated a net inflow of 6.41 billion Canadian dollars, the equivalent of about $4.56 billion, into the Canadian economy, Statistics Canada said Friday. That followed an inflow of C$9.3 billion the month before, when foreigners made the biggest investment in Canadian securities in 10 months to more than offset heavy selling during the first half of the year.
Nonresident investors purchased a net C$25.92 billion in August, the data agency said. That included C$32.59 billion invested in debt securities, the highest level since April 2024, though that was moderated by a divestment in shares equal to C$6.68 billion after investing some C$11.81 billion in Canadian stocks during July.
The cumulative investment in Canadian securities over the first eight months of 2025 now stands at C$30.21 billion, far below the C$112.45 billion invested by foreigners in the same period last year.
Foreigners bought C$31.23 billion of Canadian bonds in August, led by purchases of new private corporate bonds that were largely denominated in U.S. dollars and euros, Statistics Canada said. Acquisitions of federal and provincial government bonds also contributed to the investment activity.
Also in August, Canadian investors added C$19.51 billion in foreign securities to their portfolios, a pickup from C$17.36 billion acquired the month before. That brought the total investment since the beginning of the year to C$100.16 billion, versus C$89.86 billion the year before
Investment by Canadians in August largely targeted equity securities, with investors adding C$21.24 billion in foreign shares, led by about C$17 billion in U.S. shares.
The monthly international-securities report covers a portfolio of transactions in equity and investment fund shares, bonds and money-market instruments for both Canadian and foreign issues. The activity excludes transactions in equity and debt instruments between affiliated enterprises.
Write to Robb M. Stewart at robb.stewart@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 17, 2025 09:27 ET (13:27 GMT)
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