Foreign Investment in Canadian Securities Slumps in February

Foreign investors bought C$6.2 billion of Canadian securities in February 2026, a sharp drop from C$46.8 billion in January. They sold C$9.2 billion of Canadian equities, led by energy and mining (-C$9.4 billion). Exposure to money market instruments fell C$7.3 billion, mainly in federal (-C$7.3 billion) and provincial (-C$3.5 billion) paper. Meanwhile, they acquired C$22.6 billion in bonds overall, including C$11.1 billion in corporate bonds, mostly foreign-currency denominated issues from Canadian financial firms. Federal government bonds attracted C$8.4 billion, continuing strong demand since Q4 2025.

Foreign investors purchased C$46.7 billion of Canadian securities in January 2026, rebounding from a C$5.8 billion disinvestment in December. The rebound was led by record foreign investment in Canadian bonds of C$51.3 billion, which was partially offset by a C$10.2 billion divestment in money market instruments. Foreign bond purchases were driven by unprecedented corporate bond investment of C$31.5 billion, largely from new euro-denominated issuances by chartered banks. Federal government bonds attracted C$12.9 billion in foreign investment following record C$33.6 billion inflows in Q4 2025. Provincial bonds saw C$6.8 billion in foreign purchases, the highest since May 2025. Foreign investors also increased Canadian equity holdings by C$5.7 billion. Non-resident investors continued reducing money market exposure with a C$10.2 billion divestment.

Foreign investors reduced their holdings of Canadian securities by C$5.6 billion in December 2025, reversing a C$16.0 billion increase in November. The change was led by a C$17.6 billion net divestment in debt securities and a C$12.07 billion net increase in equities. Non-resident investors sold C$11.12 billion of Canadian bonds, with corporate bonds showing a C$22.53 billion divestment partially offset by purchases of government bonds (+C$11.41 billion). Equities recorded a C$12.07 billion gain, with acquisitions targeting shares from all industries except the banking sector. On the other side, Canadian investors acquired C$13.06 billion of foreign securities, led by purchases of US shares.