• Network analysis
• financial network
• financial crisis

This work acts in accordance with the recent developments in empirical research adapting complex network analysis concepts to economics. It aims to propose a modern approach to the study of bilateral financial relationships between countries at a global level, and makes use of topology instruments in order to extrapolate significant results starting from a dataset collected through years by the IMF (Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey). In what follows we try to outline the topological properties and the structure of portfolio investments system from a network perspective; moreover we're going to establish (as far as possible) whether 2008 financial crisis has somewhat influenced such structure. The analysis is going to delineate a core-periphery structured network while 2008 events result in significant modifications over the system topology.