So-called ‘Sovereign Wealth Funds’ are the talk of the town, stealing headlines as part of a multi-billion dollar buying spree.  Anecdotally, stories of these funds and other institutional foreign investors have made a big splash, epitomized by a few high-profile investments in struggling American investment banks.  It no longer appears these stories were isolated, as suggested by some pretty compelling economic data.  In 2007, total foreign direct investment into the United States totaled $400 Billion, which represents a 90% increase over 2006.  In addition, the first few weeks of 2008 saw a frenzy of activity, which suggest this trend will continue.  Investment in the US is being driven primarily by a weak Dollar and attractive stock market valuations.  If the bad news on the US economy continues to pour in, analysts warn that foreigners could play an even larger role in mitigating against recession. The New York Times reports:

The weak dollar has made American companies and properties cheaper in global terms. Even as Americans confront the prospect of a recession, economic growth remains strong worldwide, endowing oil producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia and export powers like China and Germany with abundant cash.

Read More: Overseas Investors Buy Aggressively in U.S.