Global Fund Market Report January 17

Fund Market Overall
Assets under management in the global collective investment funds market grew US$901.0 billion (+2.4%) for January and stood at US$38.0 trillion at the end of the month. Estimated net inflows accounted for US$94.7 billion, while US$806.3 billion was added because of the positively performing markets. Compared to a year ago, assets increased a considerable US$4.2 trillion (+12.5%). Included in the overall one-year asset change figure were US$583.5 billion of estimated net inflows. The average overall return in U.S.-dollar terms was a positive 2.9% at the end of the reporting month, outperforming the 12-month moving average return by 1.9 percentage points and outperforming the 36-month moving average return by 2.9 percentage points.
 
Fund Market by Asset Type, January
Most of the net new money for January was attracted by bond funds, accounting for US$56.5 billion, followed by equity funds and mixed-asset funds, at US$31.1 billion and US$9.7 billion of net inflows, respectively. Money market funds, at negative US$3.0 billion, were at the bottom of the table for January, bettered by “other” funds and commodity funds, at US$2.4 billion of net outflows and US$1.2 billion of net outflows, respectively. All asset types posted positive returns for the month, with “other” funds at 4.1%, followed by equity funds and commodity funds, at 3.6% and 3.0% returns on average. Money market funds, at positive 1.5%, bottom-performed, bettered by bond funds and alternatives funds, at positive 2.0% and positive 2.1%, respectively.
 
Fund Market by Asset Type, Last Year
Most of the net new money for the one-year period was attracted by bond funds, accounting for US$515.1 billion, followed by money market funds and commodity funds, with US$112.2 billion and US$16.8 billion of net inflows, respectively. Mixed-asset funds, at negative US$43.8 billion, were at the bottom of the table for the one-year period, bettered by equity funds and “other” funds, with US$19.1 billion of net outflows and US$11.4 billion of net outflows, respectively. All asset types posted positive returns for the one-year period, with equity funds at 18.2%, followed by mixed-asset funds and commodity funds, with 13.0% and 12.8% returns on average. Money market funds, at positive 2.0%, bottom-performed, bettered by alternatives funds and real estate funds, at positive 3.6% and positive 5.1%, respectively.
 
Fund Classifications, January
Looking at Lipper's fund classifications for January, most of the net new money flows went into Money Market EUR (+US$26.0 billion), followed by Equity US Small & Mid Cap and Equity Global ex US (+US$10.3 billion and +US$9.6 billion). The largest net outflows took place for Money Market USD, at negative US$40.0 billion, bettered by Equity Canada and Equity Sector Healthcare, at negative US$5.7 billion and negative US$3.0 billion, respectively.
 
Fund Classifications, Last Year
Looking at Lipper's fund classifications for the one-year period, most of the net new money flows went into Bond USD Medium Term (+US$127.9 billion), followed by Money Market USD and Money Market GBP (+US$72.5 billion and +US$62.8 billion). The largest net outflows took place for Mixed Asset CNY Flexible, with a negative US$64.8 billion, bettered by Equity Europe and Money Market CNY, with a negative US$52.7 billion and a negative US$51.1 billion, respectively.
By Otto Christian Kober, Global Head of Methodology at Thomson Reuters Lipper.