Canadian investors sell record $31 billion in U.S. shares in July

Canadian investors sold an unprecedented $31.0 billion in U.S. shares in July, reversing part of the large accumulation recorded during the first half of 2026.

Statistics Canada said the July sales were concentrated in shares of large U.S. technology companies. Canadian investors also reduced their holdings of U.S. government bonds by $5.1 billion, the sixth consecutive monthly reduction.

Overall, Canadian investors cut their exposure to foreign securities by $30.6 billion. At the same time, foreign investors added $20.7 billion in Canadian securities, led by $22.7 billion in federal government bond purchases.

The two directions of activity produced a net inflow of $51.3 billion into Canada in July. Foreign investors also acquired $7.2 billion in Canadian shares, with energy and mining stocks accounting for most of that buying.

The figures cover portfolio transactions in shares, bonds and money-market instruments. They exclude transactions between affiliated companies, which are counted as foreign direct investment.

Source: Statistics Canada (released September 17, 2026).

Illustrative photo: Maxim Hopman / Unsplash License. Cropped and resized.