The combined exposure of the nation’s financial holding companies to the US last quarter increased 4 percent on a quarterly basis to NT$6.84 trillion (US$246.6 billion), the highest of all overseas markets, due to rising investment in US stocks and bonds, data released on Tuesday last week by the Financial Supervisory Commission showed.
In the April-to-June period, the firms’ investment in the US totaled NT$6.08 trillion, up 3 percent from the first quarter, the data showed.
LENDING FALLS
Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei Times
However, their combined lending to the US declined by 10 percent quarterly to NT$304 billion, while nonperforming loans fell 12.8 percent to NT$3.33 billion, the data showed.
Overall, the firms’ combined exposure to the US has risen 89 percent since the second quarter of 2016, when it totaled NT$3.62 trillion, the data showed.
CHINA EXPOSURE
By contrast, last quarter, the firms’ exposure to China — the second-largest overseas market — fell for a second consecutive quarter to NT$2.54 trillion, from NT$2.57 trillion in the first quarter.
Their combined investment in China last quarter fell 1.6 percent to NT$1.53 trillion, while lending in China remained flat at NT$656 trillion, the data showed.
TOP 10
The firms’ exposure to the UK (the third-largest overseas market) totaled NT$1.05 trillion, followed by France (No. 4) at NT$944 billion, Hong Kong (No. 5) at NT$900 billion and Australia (No. 6) at NT$708 billion, the commission said.
Last quarter, their exposure to South Korea (No. 7) rose 9.8 percent to NT$708 billion due to an increase in investment and loans, followed by Japan (No. 8) at NT$673 billion, Canada (No. 9) at NT$556 billion and United Arab Emirates (No. 10) at NT$491 billion, the data showed.
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