Trends In Mutual Fund Investing
March 2008

Washington, DC, April 29, 2008 - The combined assets of the nation's mutual funds decreased by $24.1 billion, or 0.2 percent, to $11.734 trillion in March, according to the Investment Company Institute's official survey of the mutual fund industry. In the survey, mutual fund companies report actual assets, sales, and redemptions to ICI.

Total Net Assets of Mutual Funds
(billions of dollars)

 

Mar 08

Feb 08

% chg

Dec 07

Stock Funds

5,869.9

5,964.2R

-1.6

6,528.0

Hybrid Funds

676.4

682.3R

-0.9

714.3

Taxable Bond Funds

1,348.0

1,348.6R

0.0

1,305.5

Municipal Bond Funds

372.8

362.4R

2.9

373.9

Taxable Money Market Funds

2,979.9

2,933.3R

1.6

2,650.0

Tax-Free Money Market Funds

487.3

467.7

4.2

467.6

Total

11,734.3

11,758.4R

- 0.2

12,039.4

R=Revised data

Highlights: Long-term funds - stock, bond, and hybrid funds - had a net inflow of $43 million in March, vs. an inflow of $27.80 billion in February.

Stock funds posted an outflow of $10.14 billion in March, compared with an inflow of $9.59 billion in February. Among stock funds, world equity funds (US funds that invest primarily overseas) posted an outflow of $929.0 million in March, vs. an inflow of $5.95 billion in February. Funds that invest primarily in the US had an outflow of $9.21 billion in March, vs. an inflow of $3.64 billion in February.

Hybrid funds posted an inflow of $207.0 million in March, compared with an inflow of $3.27 billion in February.

Bond funds had an inflow of $9.98 billion in March, compared with an inflow of $14.94 billion in February. Taxable bond funds had an inflow of $7.43 billion in March, vs. an inflow of $13.73 billion in February. Municipal bond funds had an inflow of $2.55 billion in March, compared with an inflow of $1.21 billion in February.

Money market funds had an inflow of $56.80 billion in March, compared with an inflow of $96.08 billion in February. Funds offered primarily to institutions had an inflow of $28.47 billion. Funds offered primarily to individuals had an inflow of $28.33 billion.

Net New Cash Flow of Long-term Funds
(millions of dollars)


Stock Mutual Funds


 

Mar 2008

Feb 2008

YTD 2008

YTD 2007

New Sales

112,293

117,277R

388,089

391,316

Redemptions

-114,456

-104,002R

-403,342

-318,575

Exchanges In

12,278

13,099R

46,923

55,238

Exchanges Out

-20,257

-16,784R

-76,879

-63,595

Net New Cash Flow

-10,142

9,591R

-45,209

64,384


Hybrid Mutual Funds


New Sales

14,819

14,382R

48,261

40,603R

Redemptions

-13,625

-11,080R

-43,970

-30,996R

Exchanges In

1,768

1,537R

5,766

5,187R

Exchanges Out

-2,755

-1,570R

-8,060

-4,981R

Net New Cash Flow

207

3,270R

1,998

9,814R


Taxable Bond Mutual Funds


New Sales

44,317

43,005R

143,338

101,451

Redemptions

-39,993

-30,892R

-112,263

-69,476R

Exchanges In

7,651

6,123R

26,294

18,172

Exchanges Out

-4,550

-4,506

-14,492

-13,867R

Net New Cash Flow

7,425

13,730R

42,877

36,280R


Municipal Bond Mutual Funds


New Sales

8,710

7,225R

23,956

22,622

Redemptions

-6,974

-5,893R

-19,109

-14,307

Exchanges In

2,287

1,765R

6,428

3,113

Exchanges Out

-1,470

-1,885

-4,997

-2,633

Net New Cash Flow

2,553

1,212R

6,278

8,796

Net New Cash Flow of Money Market Funds
(millions of dollars)

Mar 08

Feb 08

YTD 2008

YTD 2007

56,789

96,084R

315,300

47,983

Liquid Assets of Stock Mutual Funds
(percent of total net assets)

Mar 08

Feb 08

Mar 07

4.3%

4.2%

3.6%

Annual Redemptions from Stock Funds
(percent of average net assets*)

Mar 08

Feb 08

Mar 07

24.8%

24.7%

19.5%

*Redemptions over the most recent twelve-month period as a percent of average of total net assets at beginning and ending of period.

Annual Redemptions and Redemption Exchanges from Stock Funds
(percent of average net assets*)

Mar 08

Feb 08

Feb 07

29.50

29.45

23.57

*Redemptions and Redemption Exchanges over the most recent twelve-month period as a percent of average of total net assets at beginning and ending of period.

Number of Mutual Funds in this Report

 

Mar 08

Feb 08

Mar 07

Stock Funds

4,809

4,800R

4,770R

Hybrid Funds

482

486R

485R

Taxable Bond Funds

1,296

1,298R

1,285R

Municipal Bond Funds

667

672

699

Taxable Money Market Funds

553

556

571

Tax-free Money Market Funds

257

260

264

Total

8,064

8,072R

8,074R

R=Revised data

  

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