Foreign investors returned to Asian equities with US$4.72 billion in August purchases
After nine months of selling, net foreign inflows into Asian stocks reached US$4.72 billion in August, driven by technology earnings and AI enthusiasm.
Foreign investors resumed buying Asian equities in August, ending a nine-month consecutive period of net outflows. Net purchases totaled US$4.72 billion across Taiwan, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. A further US$1.52 billion entered the region in early September, supported by strong corporate earnings and renewed interest in artificial intelligence stocks. Asian corporate profits rose 44.7% year over year, with technology sector profits surging 88.3%. The MSCI Asia-Pacific excluding Japan index gained 3.01% in August. Although foreign capital returned to the region, Thailand and the Philippines recorded net outflows among the included markets. Technology companies dominated inflows, reflecting investor preference for North Asian exposure over Southeast Asian technology assets.
