The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), has released its latest international statistical release containing the worldwide investment fund industry results for the third quarter of 2014.
Investment fund assets worldwide increased 6.2 percent during the third quarter to stand at EUR 27.24 trillion at end September 2014. In U.S. dollar terms, worldwide investment fund assets decreased 2.2percent to US$ 34.28 trillion on account of U.S. dollar appreciation during the quarter.
Worldwide net cash inflows amounted to EUR 290 billion, up from EUR 252 billion in the previous quarter. A turnaround in net flows into money market funds was the main driver behind this result.
Long-term funds (all funds excluding money market funds) continued to register net inflows amounting to EUR 223 billion during the third quarter, albeit down from EUR 301 billion registered in the previous quarter.
Worldwide equity funds recorded reduced net inflows of EUR 24 billion, down from EUR 48 billion in the previous quarter. Worldwide bond funds registered net inflows of EUR 79 billion, compared to EUR 112 billion in the previous quarter. Balanced funds recorded reduced net inflows of EUR 72 billion, down from EUR 81 billion in the second quarter.
Money market funds recorded a turnaround in net flows during the third quarter as net inflows amounted to EUR 67 billion, compared to net outflows of EUR 49 billion in the previous quarter. The United States registered net inflows of EUR 33 billion during the quarter, with Europe attracting EUR 13 billion in net new money.
At the end of the third quarter, assets of equity funds represented 40 percent and bond funds represented 22 percent of all investment fund assets worldwide. The asset share of money market funds was 13 percent and the asset share of balanced/mixed funds was 12 percent.
The market share of the ten largest countries/regions in the world market were the United States (50.3%), Europe (28.7%), Australia (4.9%), Brazil (4.7%), Canada (3.7%), Japan (3.2%), China (1.8%), Rep. of Korea (1.0%), South Africa (0.5%) and India (0.4%). Taking into account non-UCITS assets, the market share of Europe reached 36.3 percent at end September 2014.