In the past year, Canada’s domestic stock market performance has stagnated compared to that of the U.S. and most other G7 countries, contributing to the record high value of Canadian investment outside of the country relative to foreign investment within.
On May 30, Statistics Canada reported the first quarter of 2024’s international investment position (IIP). This measures Canadian investment in foreign stock and foreign direct investment abroad, minus the value of foreign investment in Canadian stocks and gross direct foreign investment. It is generally used to indicate how attractive a country is to investment from their own population and to foreigners.
In the opening months of 2024, the value of Canadian investments abroad relative to foreign investments in Canada rose CAD $309.5 billion, to $1,990.2 billion. That was the largest inter-quarter real dollar increase in the value of Canada’s foreign…


