Seoul, South Korea - Foreign investors continued their trend as net buyers of South Korean stocks for the sixth consecutive month in April, while also resuming purchases of local bonds, according to data released Wednesday by the Financial Supervisory Service. Foreign buyers acquired a net 2.63 trillion won (US$1.93 billion) worth of listed stocks in South Korea during the month.
According to Yonhap News Agency, American investors were the largest net purchasers, buying 3.5 trillion won worth of shares. Irish investors followed with purchases totaling 300 billion won. Conversely, Canadian investors sold off 700 billion won, and German investors shed 400 billion won in South Korean stocks. As of the end of April, offshore investors held stocks valued at 802.5 trillion won, representing 28.9 percent of the total market capitalization.
The report also highlighted that foreign investors turned net buyers of South Korean bonds in April, purchasing 2.57 trillion won worth after a net sell-off of 5.85 trillion won in March. Their total bond holdings reached 247.2 trillion won at the end of April, accounting for 9.7 percent of all outstanding public bonds in the country.