>Are these holdings by rich people, corporations, pension plans, or what?
A bunch are held by foreign central banks; the rest are held by banks, rich people, pension funds (not so big in Europe as here), offshore investors like hedge funds. The usual gang.
Doug
>> >Does anybody know in what financial instruments foreign claims on the US
>> >are held?
>>
>> All kinds, but about 30% of foreign assets are U.S. government bonds ($1.5
>> trillion worth), and 12% corporate bonds. U.S. holders have comparatively
>> small amouts of foreign bonds. Stock holdings are a wash - U.S. owners hold
>> about as much foreign equity as foreigners hold of U.S. paper. The U.S. has
>> a small credit on net foreign direct investment.
>>
>> At the end of the third quarter of 1998, 33% of US Treasury securities were
>> held by foreigners, up from just 10% in 1991.