(Adds data)
OTTAWA, May 18 (Reuters) - Foreign investors bought a net
C$17.17 billion ($13.25 billion) in Canadian securities in
March, the largest monthly investment in nearly a year as
investors picked up corporate debt and equities, data from
Statistics Canada showed on Wednesday.
It was the third month in a row that non-residents have
increased their purchases of Canadian securities. For the first
quarter, the economy saw a record net inflow of funds of C$52.8
billion.
Foreigners bought C$8.10 billion in Canadian bonds in March,
with investment entirely in corporate bonds as holdings of
federal and provincial government bonds were reduced.
Non-residents also picked up C$6.76 billion in Canadian
equities, the largest since March last year, as the Canadian
stock market climbed.
Canadian investors bought C$2.27 billion in foreign
securities, though that was down from C$4.37 billion in
February. Purchases were concentrated in bonds, where investment
totaled C$2.47 billion.
Still, the Canadians' sell-off in foreign securities in
January resulted in a divestment of C$8.32 billion for the first
quarter, the highest quarterly divestment since the end of 2008
when markets were roiled by the global financial crisis.
($1=$1.2954 Canadian)
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Graphic - Canada economic dashboard http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/sc-canada/index.html
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