Foreign Investment in Canadian Securities Slows Sharply

2026-05-15 12:36 By Isabela Couto 1 min. read

Foreign investors bought C$4.6 billion of Canadian securities in March 2026, the weakest monthly inflow since the start of the year and well below forecasts of C$11.4 billion.

Non-resident investors reduced their holdings of Canadian equities by C$3.8 billion, following a C$9.1 billion divestment in February.

The March decline mainly reflected retirements of Canadian shares tied to cross-border merger and acquisition activity.

By sector, the largest divestments came from banking shares (-C$7.5 billion) and energy and mining companies (-C$6.0 billion), partly offset by investment in manufacturing stocks.

Meanwhile, foreign investors added C$8.5 billion in Canadian debt securities, largely provincial government bonds denominated in euros.

Non-residents also reduced holdings of corporate bonds by C$1.7 billion and federal government bonds by C$1.2 billion.



News Stream
Foreign Investment in Canadian Securities Slows Sharply
Foreign investors bought C$4.6 billion of Canadian securities in March 2026, the weakest monthly inflow since the start of the year and well below forecasts of C$11.4 billion. Non-resident investors reduced their holdings of Canadian equities by C$3.8 billion, following a C$9.1 billion divestment in February. The March decline mainly reflected retirements of Canadian shares tied to cross-border merger and acquisition activity. By sector, the largest divestments came from banking shares (-C$7.5 billion) and energy and mining companies (-C$6.0 billion), partly offset by investment in manufacturing stocks. Meanwhile, foreign investors added C$8.5 billion in Canadian debt securities, largely provincial government bonds denominated in euros. Non-residents also reduced holdings of corporate bonds by C$1.7 billion and federal government bonds by C$1.2 billion.
2026-05-15
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.
2026-04-17
Canada Sees Strong Foreign Investment Inflow in January
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.
2026-03-18