🔥Foreign capital inflows into U.S. stocks hit an unprecedented pace in 24 years

Inflows from global investment funds into U.S. stocks since the start of 2026 have reached approximately 2.5% of total assets under management (AUM)—an abnormally high level compared to history.
This figure has more than doubled since the end of May, when the inflow rate was only around 1-1.2% of AUM. The acceleration has been pronounced since mid-June—the 2026 inflow curve nearly vertical during this period, diverging sharply from the relatively steady upward trajectory seen earlier.
If we exclude the 10% of years with the strongest inflows and the 10% with the strongest outflows, the "typical" average (25th-75th percentile) reaches only about 1.5% of AUM at the same point in the year.
More notably: the current 2.5% of AUM for 2026 has already surpassed the upper bound of the 25th-75th percentile range for the full year (estimated at about 1-1.5% of AUM)—meaning that in just half a year, 2026 inflows have exceeded what most (50%) years in history achieve after 12 months.
This is quantitative evidence that foreign investor demand for U.S. stocks is at an abnormal level, not just market sentiment. The sharp acceleration in inflows since mid-June—precisely during a period of significant macro volatility (Fed, geopolitical tensions)—raises the question of whether this is temporary "safe-haven" money or a long-term trend of capital reallocation into U.S. assets. If this pace continues through year-end, 2026 is likely to be the year with the strongest foreign inflows into U.S. stocks since 2002.