Strategic Insight Sees Across the Board Inflows in May
by:
Erin Kello
Strategic Insight has complied a state of the market report for the mutual fund industry. U.S. mutual funds saw more than $75 billion fall in to their coffers in the month of May. Equity funds saw net inflows totaling an estimated $17 billion in May, with about three-quarters of these net flows going to international / global equity funds. Bond funds took in nearly $16 billion in May and money market funds saw $42 billion in inflows.
Company Press Release
May 2008 Mutual Fund Cash Flows:
Stock, Bond, and Money Market Funds Enjoy Inflows
NEW YORK, NY – June 20, 2008 – Investors put a total of more than $75 billion into US mutual funds in May, as stock, bond and money-market funds all experienced aggregate positive inflows. Including projected June flows, mutual funds in the US are on pace to attract over $350 billion in cash flows during the first half. Some May fund flow highlights:
* Equity fund net inflows totaled an estimated $17 billion in May. About three-quarters of these net flows went to international / global equity funds, as U.S. investors continued to up the international-diversification component of their portfolios. The flows into domestic equity funds reflected stock market gains (including a roughly 1% rise in the S&P 500 index over the course of May) and some easing of investor concerns.
* Bond fund inflows neared $16 billion in May. Some two-thirds of these flows went to taxable bond funds. Tax-free bond funds saw about $5 billion of inflows during May.
* Money market funds added about $42 billion, reversing the seasonal outflow they experienced over the previous month.
“The economic outlook and credit conditions remain uncertain. But mutual fund investors continue to invest in a wide range of mutual fund vehicles, from cash management ones to those designed for global asset allocation, and remain committed to long-term investing,” said Avi Nachmany, Strategic Insight’s Director of Research.
“Remarkably, net flows into stock and bond funds across Asia are projected to exceed $120 billion in the first half, eclipsing net flows into stock and bond funds in the US, and against a backdrop of net outflows from long-term funds in Europe so far in 2008,“ added Jag Alexeyev, SI’s Senior Managing Director of Global Research. “Simfund Asia, our database tracking over 20,000 funds in Asia, reveals wide-ranging demand; more than 350 funds, mostly across Korea, India, China, and Japan, surpassed $100 million each in inflows year to date.”
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In its 22nd year, Strategic Insight has become a widely used and well respected research firm for the mutual fund and wealth management industry, providing clients with in-depth studies, consultation, and electronic decision support systems .Strategic Insight assists over 250 organizations worldwide, including the largest mutual fund management companies operating in the U.S. and the largest insurance companies serving the VA business. SI clients are responsible for about 90% of all U.S. mutual fund assets. Strategic Insight also serves many Wall Street equity research and investment banking firms, service companies, and many of the largest asset managers in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit our home at www.sionline.com.