MANILA, Philippines - Foreign portfolio investments for the first 11 months of 2009 yielded a net inflow of $431.42 million, a reversal from the $1.7-billion net outflow recorded in the same period last year.

For the month of November alone, the Philippines had a net inflow of $73 million compared to last year's $401.79-million net outflow.

Sustained growth in remittances, robust services, a healthy banking system, and better-than-expected corporate earnings encouraged investors to park their money in the local stock and debt markets in November, the central bank said in a statement on Thursday.

The United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong were the top investor countries for the month. Report from Reuters