Canadians sharply curtailed their purchases of foreign securities in March 2026, with net acquisitions falling to 3.900 billion CAD, according to data updated on 15 May 2026. This marks a significant pullback from February 2026, when foreign securities purchases had surged to 25.360 billion CAD.
The steep month‑over‑month decline suggests Canadian investors became considerably more cautious about allocating capital abroad as the first quarter drew to a close. While the figures do not detail the underlying drivers, the shift points to a marked cooling in appetite for foreign exposure after February’s robust activity, and will be closely watched by market participants for signs of changing portfolio strategies and risk sentiment among Canadian investors.
