• In the third quarter of 2018, the balance of assets held abroad by Israeli residents increased by about $7.9 billion (about1.8 percent) to about $446 billion at the end of September. There were increases in the prices of foreign shares held by Israelis, in parallel with net investments (financial and direct) in equities and foreign bonds.
  • Outstanding liabilities to abroad increased by approximately $8.4 billion (2.7 percent) in the third quarter, to about $320 billion at the end of September. There were net direct investments by nonresidents in Israeli share capital and in bonds, in parallel with an increase in the prices of Israeli shares held by nonresidents.
  • The ratio of gross external debt to GDP declined during the course of the third quarter by about 0.3 percentage points, to 25.8 percent at the end of September—reflecting an increase in the balance of gross external debt that was smaller than the increase in GDP.
  • Israel’s surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad decreased in the third quarter by approximately $0.5 billion (0.4 percent), to about $127 billion at the end of September, mainly as a result of net investments by nonresidents in Israeli share capital and bonds, which increased the balance of liabilities.
  • The surplus of assets over liabilities vis-à-vis abroad in debt instruments alone (negative net external debt) declined by about $0.9 billion (0.5 percent) in the third quarter, to approximately $158 billion at the end of September.​