Worldwide Mutual Fund Assets And Flows
Third Quarter 2007

Washington, DC, February 7, 2008 - Mutual fund assets worldwide increased 6.2 percent to $25.82 trillion at the end of the third quarter of 2007. Asset growth was boosted in part by the participation in the data collection of an additional country. Net cash flow to all funds worldwide was $319 billion in the third quarter, falling below $400 billion for the first time since the third quarter of 2006. Inflows to long-term funds were down nearly 90 percent to $37 billion in the third quarter from $294 billion in the second quarter. Bond funds were responsible for a substantial portion of the decline, experiencing net outflows of $51 billion in the third quarter versus a net inflow of $98 billion in the second quarter. Inflows to money market funds, already robust for four straight quarters, more than doubled in the third quarter, with $282 billion in inflows compared to $138 billion in the second quarter of 2007.

The Investment Company Institute compiles worldwide statistics on behalf of the International Investment Funds Association, an organization of national mutual fund associations. The collection for the third quarter of 2007 contains statistics from 43 countries.

Worldwide Mutual Fund Assets
(trillions of U.S. dollars, end of quarter)

Growth in total net assets in the third quarter of 2007 was boosted by two factors. First, the third quarter was the first time China has reported mutual fund assets. Excluding Chinese mutual funds from third quarter totals, growth in assets would have been 4.5 percent in the third quarter rather than 6.2 percent. Second, in many countries, growth in assets reported in U.S. dollars was augmented by depreciation of the dollar. For example, mutual fund assets in Europe on a U.S.-dollar-denominated basis increased 2.9 percent, compared to a decline of 1.9 percent on a Euro-denominated basis.

On a U.S.-dollar-denominated basis, asset levels increased in all investment categories. Assets of equity funds grew 5.6 percent, with $12.6 trillion in assets at the end of the third quarter of 2007. Bond funds were up 2.1 percent and money market funds grew 9.3 percent in the quarter. Assets of balanced/mixed funds increased 11.0 percent to $2.6 trillion at the end of the third quarter.

Worldwide Assets Of Equity, Bond, Money Market, And Balanced/Mixed Funds
(billions of U.S. dollars, end of quarter)

Net cash flow to mutual funds worldwide was $318 billion in the third quarter of 2007, with both long-term funds and money market funds experiencing aggregate net inflows. Equity fund flows worldwide were $31 billion in the third quarter, down from $103 billion in the second quarter. The Asia/Pacific region accounted for $48 billion of equity flows in the third quarter and the Americas for $14 billion of equity flows in the third quarter, compared to $68 billion and $42 billion, respectively, in the second quarter. Europe registered a net outflow of $31 billion from equity funds in the third quarter, compared to a net outflow of $6 billion in the second quarter. Bond funds experienced $51 billion in net outflows in the third quarter of 2007, compared to net inflows of $98 billion in the second quarter of 2007. Net outflows from bond funds were $63 billion in Europe in the third quarter, compared to net inflows of $15 billion in the second quarter. Net inflows to bond funds were $14 billion in the Americas in the third quarter, down from $65 billion in the second quarter.

Worldwide inflows to balanced funds were $23 billion in the third quarter, with $17 billion, or about three-quarters, attributable to the Americas.

Flows into money market funds were $282 billion in the third quarter of 2007, about twice as high as the rate of inflows over the previous four quarters. Net flows into money market funds in the United States jumped to $312 billion in the third quarter from 100 billion in the second quarter. The rest of the world experienced net outflows from money funds in the third quarter. In particular, European money market funds had net outflows of $27 billion in the third quarter versus net inflows of $35 billion in the second quarter.

Net Sales Of Mutual Funds Worldwid
(billions of U.S. dollars)

     

2005

 

2006

 

2007

     

Q4

 

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

 

Q1

Q2

Q3

All Funds

 

284

 

437

206

252

404

 

416

432

319

Equity

   

160

 

246

74

65

150

 

118

103

32

Bond

   

-14

 

65

-5

8

40

 

69

98

-51

Money Market

 

81

 

28

71

124

143

 

134

138

282

Balanced/Mixed

 

34

 

73

48

38

45

 

69

58

23

Other

   

22

 

25

19

18

26

 

26

35

33

Note: Thirty-two countries reported in 2005:Q4; 33 countries reported in 2006:Q1, 2006:Q2; 34 countries in 2006:Q3, 2006:Q4, 2007:Q1, 2007:Q2 and 2007:Q3. Assets of reporting countries represented 92 percent of assets of all countries at the end of 2007:Q3. Net sales are new sales plus reinvested dividends less redemptions plus net exchanges. Components may not sum to the total because of rounding.

Equity fund assets represented the bulk of all worldwide mutual fund assets. At the end of the third quarter of 2007, 49 percent of worldwide mutual fund assets were equity funds. The asset share of bond funds was 16 percent and money market funds were 18 percent of the total. Balanced/mixed fund assets represented 10 percent of the total.

Worldwide Mutual Fund Assets By Type Of Fund, 2007:Q3
(percent)

Note: Other/unclassified includes the total net assets of Ireland.

By region, 52 percent of worldwide assets were in the Americas in the third quarter of 2007, 34 percent were in Europe, and 14 percent in Africa and Asia/Pacific.

Worldwide Mutual Fund Assets by Region, 2007:Q3
(percent)

The number of mutual funds worldwide stood at 64,062 at the end of the third quarter of 2007. By type of fund, 41 percent were equity funds, 21 percent were bond funds, 21 percent were balanced/mixed funds, and 5 percent were money market funds.

Worldwide Mutual Funds by Type of Fund, 2007:Q3
(percent)

Note: Other/unclassified includes total funds in Ireland.

Total Net Assets, 2002-2007:Q3
Billions of U.S. dollars, end of periods

 

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

All Reporting Countries1

 

11,324

14,048

16,165

17,771

20,219

21,728

22,797

24,314

25,822

 

Equity

4,204

5,923

7,219

8,333

9,556

10,504

11,013

11,903

12,562

 

Bond

2,534

3,047

3,313

3,450

3,710

3,870

4,006

4,116

4,202

 

Money Market

3,190

3,206

3,323

3,364

3,685

3,864

4,063

4,267

4,665

 

Balanced/Mixed

918

1,198

1,445

1,566

1,923

2,048

2,187

2,352

2,610

 

Other

229

311

398

512

619

675

706

793

862

Countries Reporting in Every Period2

 

10,767

13,300

15,246

16,731

18,859

20,275

21,277

22,678

23,743

 

Equity

4,084

5,766

7,031

8,123

9,290

10,209

10,712

11,571

11,969

 

Bond

2,462

2,953

3,217

3,339

3,587

3,752

3,889

3,993

4,054

 

Money Market

3,159

3,157

3,254

3,289

3,571

3,736

3,934

4,132

4,535

 

Balanced/Mixed

860

1,128

1,364

1,485

1,812

1,924

2,060

2,215

2,348

 

Other 

202

296

380

495

599

654

682

766

837

Source: National mutual fund associations; European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA, formerly FEFSI) provides data for all European countries except Romania and Russia.
1
Components may not sum to total because of rounding or unclassified funds.
2
Number of countries is 26. Components may not sum to total because of rounding.

Net Sales,1 2003-2007:Q3
Billions of U.S. dollars

 

2003

2004

2005

2006

2006

2007

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

All Reporting Countries2

317

457

971

1,299

252

404

416

432

319

 

Equity

283

357

416

535

65

150

118

103

32

 

Bond

177

109

224

108

8

40

69

98

-51

 

Money Market

-212

-120

120

365

124

143

134

138

282

 

Balanced/Mixed

56

82

108

203

38

45

69

58

23

 

Other

14

29

102

88

18

26

26

35

33

Countries Reporting in Every Period3

165

307

672

951

206

331

317

310

267

 

Equity

250

298

317

414

53

123

111

92

36

 

Bond

86

62

91

78

18

38

48

59

-26

 

Money Market

-218

-131

128

336

117

147

113

124

257

 

Balanced/Mixed

40

69

112

102

14

20

35

22

-5

 

Other

6

8

23

21

5

4

10

12

5

Source: National mutual fund associations; European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA, formerly FEFSI) provides data for all European countries except Romania and Russia.
1
Net sales are new sales plus reinvested dividends less redemptions plus net exchanges.
2
Components may not sum to total because of rounding or unclassified funds.
3
Number of countries is 18. Components may not sum to total because of rounding.

Number of Funds, 2002-2007:Q3
(End of period)

 

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

All Reporting Countries1

54,110

54,569

54,982

56,868

59,761

61,498

62,512

63,292

64,062

 

Equity

22,974

22,688

22,362

23,264

24,572

25,583

25,599

25,947

26,060

 

Bond

11,619

11,886

13,309

13,231

13,455

13,557

13,498

13,420

13,517

 

Money Market

4,394

4,974

3,623

3,536

3,498

3,407

3,406

3,382

3,447

 

Balanced/Mixed

11,228

11,465

11,603

11,393

11,992

12,515

13,069

13,072

13,333

 

Other

1,310

1,578

1,997

3,317

3,969

4,097

4,521

4,996

5,174

Countries Reporting in Every Period2

42,393

41,689

42,354

42,427

44,011

44,985

45,318

45,723

46,836

 

Equity

20,808

20,018

19,918

20,044

20,734

21,555

21,341

21,477

21,703

 

Bond

9,946

9,847

9,961

10,004

10,222

10,291

10,299

10,261

10,443

 

Money Market

2,674

2,652

2,899

2,799

2,710

2,595

2,589

2,569

2,661

 

Balanced/Mixed

7,723

7,857

8,095

7,857

8,335

8,465

8,784

8,975

9,510

 

Other

1,242

1,315

1,481

1,723

2,010

2,079

2,305

2,441

2,519

Source: National mutual fund associations; European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA, formerly FEFSI) provides data for all European countries except Romania and Russia.
1
Components may not sum to total because of unclassified funds.
2
Number of countries is 24.

  

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