Investment fund assets worldwide decreased by 1.3 percent to €44 trillion at the end of Q1 2018, according to The European Fund and Asset Management Association’s (EFAMA’s) latest International Statistical Release.
The paper gives insight into the developments in the worldwide investment fund industry during the first quarter of 2018.
In US dollar terms, worldwide investment fund assets increased 1.5 percent to stand at $54 trillion at end Q1 2018.
EFAMA found net inflows into funds worldwide amounted to €502 billion, down from €635 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Net inflows reached €223 billion in Europe, compared to €81 billion in the US and €62 billion in both China and Japan.
Long-term funds (all funds excluding money market funds) recorded net inflows of €490 billion, compared to €523 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Equity funds attracted net sales of €217 billion, down from €245 billion in Q4 2017.
Europe recorded the largest net sales of equity (€85 billion), compared to €36 billion in the US.
EFAMA found that at the end of the first quarter of the year, assets of equity funds represented 41.3 percent and bond funds represented 20.6 percent of all investment fund assets worldwide.
Of the remaining assets, money market funds represented 11.3 percent and the asset share of balanced/mixed funds was 17.5 percent.
Bernard Delbecque, senior director for research and economics at EFAMA, said: “Despite turmoil in financial markets, worldwide investment funds continued to attract significant net inflows in Q1 2018, with Europe attracted the largest amount of net inflows (€223 billion), compared to €81 billion in the United States and €62 billion in both China and Japan."
