Foreign Demand for U.S. Assets Up in Sept. on China Purchases
By John Brinsley and Rebecca Christie
Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- International demand for U.S. financial assets rose more than economists forecast in September as China surpassed Japan to become the biggest foreign holder of Treasuries.
Total net purchases of long-term equities, notes and bonds increased a net $66.2 billion in September from $21 billion the previous month, the Treasury said today in Washington. Including short-term securities such as stock swaps, foreigners bought a net $143.4 billion, compared with net buying of $21.4 billion the month before.
Stocks plunged and Treasuries rose in September as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson negotiated for two weeks with Congress over a $700 billion plan to address the worst financial crisis in 70 years. China's demand for U.S. government securities surged, while Japan's weakened.
``There continues to be substantial flows into Treasuries due to the uncertainty surrounding the financial crisis,'' Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. in New York, said before the report.
Economists predicted international investors would buy a net $27.2 billion of long-term securities in September, based on the median of seven estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.
China leapfrogged Japan, increasing its Treasury holdings by $43.6 billion to $585 billion, the report said. Japan, now the second-largest foreign owner of U.S. government debt, reduced its holdings by $12.8 billion to $573.2 billion.
U.S. Agency Debt
Foreign demand for U.S. agency debt from companies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac increased from a month earlier. Purchases of long-term agency debt totaled a net $6.2 billion, compared with net sales of $8.7 billion in August.
The Treasury's figures include both agency debt and mortgage-backed securities and aren't restricted to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds. Mortgage-backed securities of Ginnie Mae and corporate debt of the Federal Home Loan Bank System are also included in the report.
International purchases of U.S. stocks totaled a net $11.5 billion, compared with net sales of $982 million in August. Foreigners sold a net $7.6 billion of corporate bonds, compared with net sales of $13.1 billion a month earlier.
Net purchases of Treasury notes and bonds increased to a net $88.9 billion, compared with $30.6 billion a month earlier. Net foreign official buying of Treasury bonds and notes totaled a net $4.9 billion, after net purchases of $4.8 billion the previous month.
The Treasury's reporting on long-term securities captures international purchases of government notes and bonds, stocks, corporate debt and securities issued by U.S. agencies such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which buy mortgages.
Stocks Plunge
The dollar rose 1.9 percent in September after a 4.5 gain the previous month, according to a trade-weighted index of major currencies. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index in September had its worst month since 2002, declining 9.1 percent, the fourth monthly decline in five.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year note averaged 3.68 percent, compared with 3.88 percent in August. Treasuries returned 1.8 percent in September, the most since a 2.5 percent gain in January, according to Merrill Lynch & Co.'s U.S. Treasury Master index.
The U.K., which through London acts as a transit point for international investors, especially those in the Middle East, bought $30.3 billion of Treasuries, bringing holdings to $338.4 billion.
Some economists say the difference between the trade gap and securities purchased by foreigners is an indicator of how easily the U.S. can finance its external obligations.
The U.S. trade deficit shrank in September by 4.4 percent to $56.5 billion, the smallest in almost a year. The gap narrowed a weakening economy restricted demand for foreign goods such as automobiles and televisions.
To contact the reporters on this story: John Brinsley in Washington at jbrinsley@bloomberg.net; Rebecca Christie in Washington at Rchristie4@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: November 18, 2008 09:01 EST
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