Investment fund assets remain steady

During the second quarter of 2011, investment fund assets remained steady at €19.49trn at end June, reports the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA). In US dollar terms, this means worldwide investment fund assets increased 1.7% during the quarter to US$ 28.17trn.

Further good news can be found in the total net inflows into investment funds increased during the quarter to €147bn, compared to total net inflows of €102bn in the previous quarter. 

EFMA says this increase comes on the back of increased net inflows into long-term funds, coupled with reduced net withdrawals from money market funds. For long-term funds (all funds excluding money market funds) net inflows increased during the same quarter to €206bn, up from €176bn in the first quarter.

Further analysis reveals that bond funds enjoyed a steep increase in net inflows during the quarter to register at  €70bn, which can be compared to €42bn in the previous quarter.  And it was a similar story for equity funds as they continued to record net inflows amounting to €16bn, although at a reduced rate compared to the previous quarter when net inflows amounted to €45bn. Balanced/mixed funds also enjoyed increased net sales during the quarter to register inflows of €40bn. Net inflows into long-term funds in Europe increased to €48bn during the quarter, whereas net inflows in the US remained steady at €98bn.
 
When looking at the data for money market funds, it shows a reduction in net outflows during the second quarter of €59bn, compared to €74bn in the first quarter of the year. The US registered net withdrawals of €32bn in the second quarter, which is down from €57bn in the first quarter. On the other hand, Europe experienced an increase in net outflows from money market funds during the quarter of €30bn, compared to €9bn in the previous quarter.
 
EFAMA’s data finds that at the end of the second quarter of 2011, assets of equity funds represented 39% and bond funds represented 21% of all investment fund assets worldwide. The asset share of money market funds was 18% and the asset share of balanced/mixed funds was 10%.  
 
And lastly, EFAMA reports that the market share of the 10 largest countries/regions in the world market were the US (47.2%), Europe (30.4%), Brazil (5.9%), Australia (5.5%), Japan (3.9%), Canada (3.0%), China (1.2%), Rep. of Korea (0.9%), South Africa (0.6%) and India (0.4%). 

www.efama.org