International investors bought twice as much in U.S. financial assets as expected in October, with Treasury securities being purchased at the fastest pace in nearly two years, reported Bloomberg News.

According to the Treasury Department, foreigners’ total holdings of equities, notes and bonds increased a net $114 billion, after a revised increase of $15.4 billion in September. This is double analysts’ expectation that international investors would buy a net $50 billion in long-term securities and is the second straight month of increased investor demand after record sales of long-term assets in August amid the credit crisis.

Including short-term securities, such as Treasury bills and nonmarket trades, such as stock swaps, overseas investors purchased a net $97.8 billion, compared with a net selling of $32.8 billion in the previous month.

The stock market rebounded slightly in October, as international holdings of U.S. stocks rose a net $30.2 billion, compared with net purchases of $2.6 billion in September. The Standard & Poor’s 500 stock index rose 1.5 percent in October, and the Dow Jones industrial average increased 0.3 percent.