Monday, August 31, 2009

U.S. Holdings of Foreign Securities Collapsed at Year-End 2008

At year-end 2008, the recession clearly destroyed equity value of foreign equities held by Americans and American corporations.

Preliminary data from an annual survey of U.S. portfolio holdings of foreign securities at year-end 2008 was released today.

The survey measured U.S. holdings at year-end 2008 of approximately $4.3 trillion, with $2.7 trillion held in foreign equities, $1.3 trillion in foreign long-term debt securities (original term-to-maturity in excess of one year), and $0.3 trillion held in foreign short-term debt securities. The previous such survey, conducted as of year-end 2007, measured U.S. holdings of $7.2 trillion, with $5.2 trillion held in foreign equities, $1.6 trillion in foreign long-term debt securities and $0.4 trillion held in foreign short-term debt securities.

The survey was undertaken jointly by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

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