#Saudi appetite for U.S. Treasury holdings still high despite $9bln drop in January - analyst | ZAWYA MENA Edition

Saudi appetite for U.S. Treasury holdings still high despite $9bln drop in January - analyst | ZAWYA MENA Edition:

Saudi Arabia’s holdings in United States government debt securities dropped by $9 billion in January from a month earlier, official data showed.

Despite the drop, Saudi interest in U.S. holdings in still high, an analyst told Zawya, but could weaken if the U.S. dollar strengthens further in value, or if the kingdom needs additional cash to support the state’s sovereign wealth fund.

The total holdings of Saudi Arabia in U.S. Treasury securities decreased to $162.6 billion at the end of January, from $171.6 billion in December, the latest data from U.S. Treasury showed.