Investment fund assets worldwide decreased 1.3% to €44 trillion over the course of the first quarter of this year, according to figures from the European Fund and Asset Management Association (Efama).
Measured in US dollars, however, worldwide investment fund assets increased 1.5% to stand at €54 trillion by the end of the first quarter of 2018.
Net inflows into funds worldwide amounted to €502 billion, down from €635 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.
In Europe, net inflows reached €223 billion, compared to €81 billion in the US and €62 billion in both China and Japan.
Long-term funds (excluding money market funds) recorded net inflows of €490 billion, compared to €523 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The figures also showed that:
- Equity funds attracted net sales of €217 billion, down from €245 billion in the last quarter of 2017.
- Bond funds posted net sales of €119 billion, down from €138 billion in Q4 2017.
- Balanced/mixed funds registered net sales of €92 billion, down from net inflows €112 billion in Q4 2017.
- Money market funds registered net sales of €12 billion, compared to €112 billion in the last quarter of 2017.
- The market shares of the ten largest countries/regions in the world market during the first quarter of this year were the US (45.1%), Europe (34.5%), Australia (3.9%), Brazil (3.7%), China (3.6%), Japan (3.5%), Canada (3.1%), Rep. of Korea (0.9%), India (0.6%) and South Africa (0.4%).
©2018 funds europe
