Investment fund assets worldwide decreased by 1.3 per cent to EUR44 trillion at end Q1 2018, according to the European Fund and Asset Management Association’s (EFAMA) latest International Statistical Release.
In US dollar terms, worldwide investment fund assets increased 1.5 per cent to stand at USD 54 trillion at end Q1 2018.
Net inflows into funds worldwide amounted to EUR502 billion, down from EUR635 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017. Net inflows reached EUR223 billion in Europe, compared to EUR81 billion in the United States and EUR62 billion in both China and Japan.
Long-term funds (all funds excluding money market funds) recorded net inflows of EUR490 billion, compared to EUR523 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Equity funds attracted net sales of EUR217 billion, down from EUR245 billion in Q4 2017. Europe recorded the largest net sales of equity (EUR85 billion), compared to EUR36 billion in the United States.
Bond funds posted net sales of EUR119 billion, down from EUR138 billion in Q4 2017. Net inflows into bond funds were the largest in the United States (EUR79 billion), compared to EUR24 billion in Europe.
Balanced/mixed funds registered net sales of EUR92 billion, down from net inflows EUR112 billion in Q4 2017. Europe recorded the largest net sales of balanced/mixed funds (EUR71 billion), compared to EUR9 billion in the United States.
Money market funds registered net sales of EUR12 billion, compared to EUR112 billion in the last quarter of 2017. China recorded the largest net sales of money market funds (EUR54 billion), compared to net outflows in the United States (EUR46 billion) and in Europe (EUR4 billion).
At the end of the first quarter of the year, assets of equity funds represented 41.3 per cent and bond funds represented 20.6 per cent of all investment fund assets worldwide. Of the remaining assets, money market funds represented 11.3 per cent and the asset share of balanced/mixed funds was 17.5 per cent.
The market shares of the ten largest countries/regions in the world market were the United States (45.1 per cent), Europe (34.5 per cent), Australia (3.9 per cent), Brazil (3.7 per cent), China (3.6 per cent), Japan (3.5 per cent), Canada (3.1 per cent), Rep. of Korea (0.9 per cent), India (0.6 per cent) and South Africa (0.4 per cent).
