Foreigners Own Nearly $30 Trillion in U.S. Stocks and Bonds. Here Is Why That Number Should Be on Every Investor's Radar

By Alex Carchidi – Apr 11, 2026 at 1:45PM ESTKey PointsPeople everywhere have wanted exposure to U.S. capital markets.That has been true for a long time, but it might not be true forever. Every share of the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY 0.09%) you own, and every Treasury bond in your retirement account, exist inside a market that foreign investors have filled with more than $35 trillion in capital. That figure, from the U.S. Treasury's most recent annual survey published in June 2025, is up from roughly $31 trillion a year earlier. Critically, that pool's growing or shrinking tells you (on a very approximate basis) how much the rest of the world trusts and is attracted to the American financial system. Recently, that trust has come under scrutiny. Let's look at what's actually happening and investigate why it matters for your portfolio. Image source: Getty Images. Asset prices are signals about investors' confidence When a pension fund in Amsterdam or a sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi buys U.S. stocks and bonds, it's making an implicit bet that the U.S. economy will keep growing, and that the country's institutions will remain stable. For decades, that bet paid off handsomely. As measured via the total return of the iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock Market ETF (IXUS +0.24%) and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust, the U.S. market grew by 276% over the past 10 years, whereas the international market grew by just 139%. ExpandNYSEMKT: SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF TrustToday's Change(-0.09%) $-0.58Current Price$679.33Key Data PointsDay's Range$678.45 - $682.0352wk Range$508.46 - $697.84Volume2.6M Then came April 2025. The Trump administration's tariff policies sparked many murmurs of an ongoing "Sell America" trade, leading to a simultaneous decline in U.S. equities, Treasuries, and the dollar. But private foreign investors, who account for over 80% of foreign holdings, actually then went on to increase their net purchases of U.S. securities to approximately $1.5 trillion in 2025, up from an average of about $1 trillion annually during 2022 through 2024. In other words, even during a period of unexpectedly erratic governance in the U.S., foreign investors weren't dumping their holdings, they were loading up. Of course, they might not always behave in the same way; patience has limits. ExpandNASDAQ: IXUSiShares Trust - iShares Core Msci Total International Stock ETFToday's Change(0.24%) $0.22Current Price$91.33Key Data PointsDay's Range$91.04 - $91.8052wk Range$67.70 - $94.61Volume997K What to watch from here For now, U.S. financial markets are still the best-positioned for growth in the world. Nonetheless, there are plenty of factors that might change that and encourage international investors to allocate their capital elsewhere. For instance, increasing levels of state ownership of key businesses, political corruption, weak enforcement of securities laws, and political instability have all historically encouraged investors to exit their capital from countries. To the extent that investors are concerned about these happening in the U.S., it would be a new headwind to domestic stock prices. Therefore, keep an eye on the sum of foreign capital held in the U.S. market. If its rate of growth starts to decline, it could be a sign of harder times ahead. Getting some exposure to international businesses is a smart way to get diversified and to protect your portfolio in case that happens.Read NextApr 2, 2026 •By James BrumleyWarren Buffett Says Buy This 1 Investment and Turn $300 a Month Into $1 MillionMar 31, 2026 •By Catherine BrockWho Owns Ford? Largest Shareholders & Board of DirectorsMar 25, 2026 •By John BallardIVV vs. SPY: These Top S&P 500 ETFs Are Not the SameMar 24, 2026 •By David Jagielski, CPAHere's How Much a $25,000 Investment in the S&P 500 Might Grow to Be Worth in 30 YearsMar 21, 2026 •By Dana GeorgeThe 1 Asset Warren Buffett Says Every Investor Should OwnMar 19, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloHow to Buy Nvidia Stock (NVDA): Step-by-Step Guide for BeginnersAbout the AuthorAlex Carchidi is a contributing Motley Fool healthcare and cryptocurrency analyst covering biotech, pharma, cannabis, and digital asset companies. Previously, Alex was a bench scientist and science writer at several biopharma companies and began his career as a researcher at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Boston University and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.TMFacarchidiX@alexcarchidiStocks MentionedSPDR S&P 500 ETF TrustNYSEMKT: SPY$679.33(-0.09%)-$0.58iShares Trust - iShares Core Msci Total International Stock ETFNASDAQ: IXUS$91.33(+0.24%)+$0.22*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.