Economy February 18, 2026

U.S. Treasury Reports $44.9 Billion Net TIC Inflow for December 2025

Foreign private investors led purchases of U.S. securities while banks and short-term holdings also rose

By Marcus Reed
U.S. Treasury Reports $44.9 Billion Net TIC Inflow for December 2025

The U.S. Department of the Treasury reported a $44.9 billion net inflow in Treasury International Capital (TIC) for December 2025, with private foreign investors accounting for the majority of the inflow. Foreign residents increased their holdings of long-term U.S. securities and short-term dollar assets, while U.S. residents bought long-term foreign securities. Adjustments reduced the estimated net long-term foreign purchases to $28.0 billion. The Treasury will publish the January 2026 TIC figures on March 18, 2026.

Key Points

  • Total net TIC inflow for December 2025 was $44.9 billion, combining long-term, short-term, and banking flows - impacts key government debt markets and international investment balances.
  • Private foreign investors were the primary source of inflows at $32.7 billion, with foreign official institutions adding $12.2 billion - relevant to Treasury market demand and portfolio allocations.
  • Foreign residents increased long-term U.S. securities holdings by $62.9 billion, while U.S. residents bought $34.9 billion of long-term foreign securities; adjustments brought estimated net long-term foreign purchases to $28.0 billion.

Overview

The U.S. Department of the Treasury reported a net inflow of $44.9 billion in Treasury International Capital (TIC) for December 2025, according to data released Wednesday. That headline figure combines net foreign acquisitions across long-term securities, short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows.

Breakdown by investor type

Private foreign investors accounted for the bulk of the inflow, contributing $32.7 billion, while foreign official institutions added $12.2 billion to the total. The composition of those flows shows a notable tilt toward long-term U.S. securities among foreign residents.

Long-term securities activity

Foreign residents recorded net purchases of long-term U.S. securities totaling $62.9 billion in December. Within that aggregate, private foreign investors generated $55.7 billion of net purchases and foreign official institutions contributed $7.2 billion.

At the same time, U.S. residents increased their holdings of long-term foreign securities with net purchases of $34.9 billion during the month. After applying adjustments documented in the TIC data - including estimated foreign portfolio acquisitions of U.S. equities through stock swaps - the overall estimated net foreign purchases of long-term securities were reduced to $28.0 billion for December.

Short-term securities and banking flows

The report also shows foreign residents raised their holdings of U.S. Treasury bills by $9.7 billion. More broadly, foreign resident holdings of all dollar-denominated short-term U.S. securities and other custody liabilities increased by $12.1 billion.

In the banking sector, banks recorded a $4.8 billion increase in their own net dollar-denominated liabilities to foreign residents.

Next release

The Treasury has scheduled the next TIC release, covering January 2026 data, for March 18, 2026.


Note: This article reports the Treasury's TIC figures as published; the figures presented are the official values reported by the Treasury.

Risks

  • Reported totals are subject to adjustments noted in the TIC release - revisions or methodological adjustments could change the net long-term securities estimate and affect market interpretations; this impacts Treasury and global fixed income markets.
  • Limited scope of the monthly snapshot - December figures alone do not indicate trends beyond that month, and market participants may need subsequent releases such as the January 2026 TIC data (due March 18, 2026) for confirmation; this introduces uncertainty for investors assessing flow-driven price moves.

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