Canada's International Transactions in Securities

Portfolio instrument of economy, category

Portfolio instrument refers to cross-border transactions and positions involving debt or equity securities, other than those included in direct investment or reserve assets. Unlike direct investors, portfolio investors have no significant influence on the operation or management of the enterprises in which they invest.

Economy refers to the entire set of resident institutional units. It is divided into sectors that consists of groups of resident institutional units. An institutional unit is resident in a country when it has a centre of economic interest in the economic territory of that country. It is said to have a centre of economic interest when there exists some location - dwelling, place of production or other premises - within the economic territory on, or from, which it engages, and intends to continue to engage, in economic activities and transactions on a significant scale either indefinitely or over a finite period of time.

The data for this variable are reported using the following classifications and/or lists:

• Portfolio transaction in equity and investment fund shares