That compared with net purchases of $5.47 billion in May.

Net purchases surged to $176.4 billion in the first half.

Figures from Japan remained positive, with net purchases of $74 million.

Of total net purchases of foreign stocks, just under 21 percent, or $5.2 billion, went North.

Net purchases and net sales are not a good measure.

And, led by Japanese investors, net purchases from abroad amounted to $18.4 billion in the first half of 1987 alone.

Last year and thus far in 1987, they were second only to mutual funds in net purchases of common stock.

Net purchases of equity funds totalled $1.2 billion in the week ended May 24.

At the same time, their net purchases of short-term assets zoomed to a $152 billion annual rate last winter.

Net purchases of foreign stocks were near record highs for the first nine months of the year.