US groups shine during the first week of 2022

Continuing the pattern that emerged in the final quarter of 2021, flows to EPFR-tracked funds had a star-spangled bias to them early in the New Year. Between them, US Equity, Bond and Money Market Funds – which absorbed nearly $360 billion in 4Q21 — pulled in over $25 billion during the week ending January 5.

Despite the US Federal Reserve’s more hawkish tone and the derailing of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better spending package, investors believe there is more to come from America’s economy and stock market. This stems in part from the cash accumulated by corporations and individuals over the past 19 months which, potentially, is available to boost consumption and investment. Since the start of the pandemic, the assets held by US Money Market Funds have increased by $1.3 trillion and estimates of the ‘excess’ savings accumulated by American consumers range from $2 trillion to $3.5 trillion.

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Investors come out of the gate like bulls

Investors come out of the gate like bulls

A damn-the-torpedoes spirit gripped investors during the first week of the New Year.

Faced with bond vigilantes stampeding UK sovereign yields and year-ahead forecasts devoting space to overheated US valuations, the impact of tariffs on inflation and trade, China’s slowing economic growth, rising corporate defaults and the vast borrowing requirements of most leading economies, investors responded in contrarian fashion. They steered over $10 billion into both US Equity and Bond Funds while flows into China Equity and High Yield Bond Funds climbed to four and seven-week highs, respectively.

Outside of the US, sails flapping at year’s end

Outside of the US, sails flapping at year’s end

The first two months of 2024 saw Japan, India, Technology and China Equity Funds absorb a net $5.2 billion, $10.7 billion, $14.1 billion and $44.6 billion, respectively, while US Equity Funds pulled in a minimal $3.4 billion. During the final two months of last year, however, US Equity Funds added $174 billion as they set a new full-year inflow record while flows to the other groups ranged from an outflow of over $10 billion for Japan Equity Funds to an inflow of $2.2 billion for China Equity Funds.

Some late innings shifts as 2024 winds down

Some late innings shifts as 2024 winds down

It was a mixed Christmas for the major EPFR-tracked fund groups as technical factors reversed a significant chunk of the previous week’s record-setting inflows to Equity Funds and the sell-off in primary debt markets crimped flows to Bond Funds while Money Market Funds added to their year-to-date total and Balanced Funds posted their biggest weekly inflow since mid 1Q22.

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