OTTAWA, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Foreigners maintained their healthy appetite for Canadian securities in October, snapping up C$15.75 billion ($11.75 billion) worth of bonds, stocks and money market paper, Statistics Canada said on Thursday.
Non-residents have been investing heavily in Canada since the start of 2016. Investment for the first 10 months of the year hit a record C$139.18 billion, well above the C$100.77 billion amassed from January to October of 2015.
Foreign investors bought C$7.69 billion in money market paper, most of it issued by private corporations. That investment was the highest of its kind since June 2015.
Purchases of bonds slowed to C$6.25 billion from C$11.50 billion in September while investment in stocks dropped to C$1.81 billion from C$5.67 billion in the previous month.
At the same time, Canadians invested a net C$2.14 billion in foreign securities, led by purchases of U.S. shares. Residents sold C$3.05 billion worth of U.S. government bonds, the third consecutive month of divestment.
($1=$1.34 Canadian)
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