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EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 17 Sep 2021
Flows into EPFR-tracked Equity Funds jumped to a 26-week high in mid-September as investors continue to shrug off all manner of threats to the best-case scenarios for the US, European, Chinese and global economies. The investment case for the US appears particularly resilient. Despite headline inflation coming in north of 5% again during August, the constraints of the current debt ceiling, the administrations push for over $2 trillion in tax hikes, average new Covid-19 cases climbing to a level last seen in late January and an emerging consensus that the Federal Reserve will start (cautiously) tapering its bond purchases later this year, investors committed over $50 billion to US Equity and Bond Funds during the week ending Sept. 15. Those investors also showed less appetite for staying close to cash. US Money Market Funds saw $45.6 billion billion redeemed, their biggest weekly outflow since late 4Q20. Meanwhile, some US MM Fund providers are tapping into the broad appetite for exposure to socially responsible (SRI) or environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles. After a lull stretching from the third quarter of last year into April, flows to US SRI/ESG Money Market Funds have gained momentum each of the subsequent months, hitting a 13-month high in August.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Vik Srimurthy 17 Sep 2021
EPFR’s data can be filtered in dozens of ways, including sifting through lists of individual funds to create bespoke groups. A recent example is the selection of utility sector funds with water mandates into a custom group. As it happens, these funds are in focus and in demand. With water getting scarcer in many parts of the world, governments boosting budgets for “green” infrastructure and water’s key role in next generation industries – by some estimates the average semiconductor plant requires over 3 million gallons of clean water a day – investors see both need and opportunity. Read more...
Topic Industry News
Zephyr Portfolio Analytics
By Ryan Nauman 13 Sep 2021
The week ahead is full of important economic data releases. The week includes soft data releases in the form of sentiment surveys as well as hard data releases like the consumer price index (CPI) and retail sales. Most will be watching the CPI release as inflation has been a primary concern for investors and businesses while the Federal Reserve walks a tight rope in trying to keep inflation from running too hot while not hindering the economic recovery, particularly the labor market. I will also pay close attention to the small business and consumer sentiment indexes to get a better idea of how they feel about the economy which can provide information about how they will spend in the near term..
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 10 Sep 2021
On September 6, enhanced unemployment benefits ended for millions in the US and the seven-day moving average for new Covid-19 cases worldwide stood at 616,000. On Sept. 7, Australia’s central bank confirmed the tapering of its bond buying program and troubled Chinese property developer Evergrande was hit with its second ratings downgrade in as many days. On Sept. 8, former US Fed Chair Janet Yellen warned that the latest debt ceiling impasse could trigger a default in as soon as October. On Sept. 9, as the European Central Bank met to discuss its response to inflationary pressures, EPFR’s latest data showed that $25 billion flowed into the Equity and Bond Funds it tracks during the first week of September. As they have for much of this year, investors allocated to the global rebound, Covid-clipped wings notwithstanding, the consensus on combating climate change, consumers in the world’s two largest economy and the profitability of major corporations. They have largely discounted tighter monetary policy, a return to widespread lockdowns and geopolitical shocks. Going into the second week of September, year-to-date flows to EPFR-tracked Alternative, Balanced, Bond and Equity Funds stood at 35%, 53%, 91% and 197% of their full year records. Among the country, thematic, sector and asset class fund groups on track to set new inflow records are Inflation Protected, SRI/ESG Equity and Bond, Infrastructure and Consumer Goods Sector, China Bond and US Equity Funds.
Topic Industry News
Zephyr Portfolio Analytics
By Ryan Nauman 07 Sep 2021
It is a light week ahead for economic data during the holiday shortened trading week. While recent figures show that the labor market has slowed recently, labor demand has remained strong, which will be highlighted when job openings for July is released. The August release showed that the number of job openings outpaced the number of job seekers, we will see if this trend has continued in July. The other release I will be focusing on will be the producer price index as supply chain bottlenecks and short supply of materials have pressured input prices in 2021.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 03 Sep 2021
Investors responded to signals that tapering of bond purchases by the US Federal Reserve could well start later this year and the partisan sparring over the debt ceiling by steering over $19 billion into EPFR-tracked US Equity and Bond Funds during the final week of August. Growing concern that China’s efforts to cool its property sector will deliver a blow to both Chinese and global economic growth, meanwhile, did not stop China Equity Funds absorbing $3.3 billion. Going into September, mutual fund investors continue to put their faith in US corporate earnings growth, central bank accommodation and a much greener future. While taking out some protection against higher inflation – Inflation Protected Bond Funds have taken in nearly $70 billion over the past 41 weeks – their response to the boost in Covid-19 cases driven by the Delta variant, political tensions in the Middle East and Asia, concerns about the trajectory of global growth and the impending end of Angela Merkel’s tenure in Germany has been muted. The latest week, ending Sept. 1, saw EPFR-tracked Equity Funds post collective inflows of $19 billion as the year-to-date total for Equity Funds with socially responsible (SRI) or environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandates hit 108% of the full-year record set in 2020. Alternative Funds pulled in $1.3 billion, Balanced Funds $1.9 billion and Bond Funds $12.7 billion while $22.9 billion flowed out of Money Market Funds.
Topic Industry News
IGM Credit
By Andrew Perrin 02 Sep 2021
IGM Global Credit Snapshot | Thursday, 2nd September 2021 - Primary market issuance volumes seasonally slow in August - Major milestones nonetheless made in European and US primary markets - US IG ex SSA issuance surpasses US$1tn mark, though metrics suggest some investor fatigue - European primary market YTD tally also crosses Eur 1tn mark; with buying interest still evident - APAC US$ IG issuers rewarded with attractive funding costs amidst ongoing fall in supply - For more specific regional highlights see below.
Topic Industry News
Zephyr Portfolio Analytics
By Ryan Nauman 30 Aug 2021
There are a lot of headline capturing economic data releases during the week ahead, but the releases that will capture most of the headlines happen on Friday. Now that the Jackson Hole Symposium is behind us, we can turn our attention back to economic data. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell stated the economy has achieved the FOMC’s goal of “substantial further progress” towards its inflation objective and the labor market has made “clear progress” during his Jackson Hole speech. We will gather more information during the week ahead regarding how much progress the labor market made in August when the jobs report is released on Friday. Additionally, the health of the manufacturing and services sectors will be on display as the August PMIs are released.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 27 Aug 2021
The week ending August 25 saw EPFR-tracked Equity Funds post their 35th straight inflow, taking their year-to-date total up to 186% of the full-year inflow record set in 2013. Faced with a crowded slate of variables ranging from the resurgence of Covid-19 infections through the crisis in Afghanistan to the possibility that the US Federal Reserve will start scaling back its bond buying program later this year, investors focused on the positives – strong corporate earnings, high levels of fiscal stimulus – and the buoyant effect these positives are having on benchmark indexes. While Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with equity mandates have attracted substantially more money than mutual funds so far this year, the split for all fund groups YTD is almost exactly 50-50. Total assets managed by all EPFR-tracked ETFs, having breached the $9 trillion mark in early June, currently stand at $9.5 trillion.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Steven Xinlei Shen 24 Aug 2021
The cancellation of Ant Financials’ scheduled IPO last November signaled the start of a sustained push by Chinese regulators to clip the wings of major technology plays. That push expanded to other businesses seen as out of line with official goals and policies. In their latest move, those regulators are proposing new rules requiring any Chinese company seeking to list on a foreign stock exchanges to carry out a cybersecurity review, Not surprisingly, given these official actions, foreign investors are running shy of Chinese equity. Flows for China Equity Funds were negative eight of the past 11 weeks going into mid-August and fund allocations to foreign listed China share classes – ADR, N Share and S chip – continues to fall. Read more...
Topic Industry News
Digital Banking Hub, Digital Banking Research
23 Aug 2021
INTRODUCING THE DIGITAL BANKING HUB’S COMMERCIAL TRACKING Get unprecedented access to real digital treasury journeys, with behind-the-login views powered by our Digital Banking Hub, and strategic analyses of competitors’ platforms provided by our digital banking experts.
Topic Digital Banking
Zephyr Portfolio Analytics
By Ryan Nauman 23 Aug 2021
There are a lot of headline capturing economic data releases during the week ahead, but the releases that will capture most of the headlines happen on Friday. July retail sales missed expectations while consumer confidence has waned recently which has concerned investors that consumer spending may soften. With the current economy dependent on the spending power of the consumer, the July consumer spending release will be widely followed and has the potential to move markets. Additionally, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) preferred measure of inflation, the Personal Consumption Expenditure price index (PCE), will be updated on Friday. Inflation has been a key driver of market movements recently and the topic of many water cooler discussions, so it will be widely watched as it is a primary data point in the Fed’s decision-making process regarding its tapering of asset purchases. Speaking of the Fed, the long-anticipated Jackson Hole symposium takes place during the end of the week. Traders will be tuned in to see if the Fed announces its plan to start tapering purchases and any signals regarding its accommodative monetary policies.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 20 Aug 2021
Despite weaker consumer data, discussion of tapering among policymakers at the US Federal Reserve, fresh outbreaks of the Covid-19 Delta variant and the Taliban’s stunning victory in Afghanistan, the money kept flowing to EPFR-tracked funds during the third week of August. Equity Funds recorded their biggest collective inflow since the second week of June, year-to-date flows to all Bond Funds pushed over the $550 billion mark and Balanced Funds saw their current inflow streak hit eight weeks and $21 billion. For much of the week ending August 18 a stellar second quarter corporate earnings season and the prospect of further hefty boosts to the already formidable amount of fiscal stimulus deployed by the US provided investors climbing the current “wall of worry” with handholds. Modest amounts moved out of both Japan and Europe Money Market Funds – in the case of the latter for the first time in nearly two months -- as investors put money to work. Although retail cash has been leaving US Money Market Funds consistently since mid-February, the overall pace of outflows offers lukewarm support – at best – to the pent-up consumer demand narrative. While both the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) and the Covid pandemic triggered a “dash for cash” that saw money pour into liquidity funds, the pattern of flows once this flight to cash peaked has differed. Starting in March 2009, it took only five months for redemptions to erase the influx of cash that US Money Market Funds had seen in 4Q08 and 1Q09. By mid-2010, over $400 billion had flowed out of this fund group in just 16 months. That story is not, so far, repeating itself as the Covid-19 pandemic plays out. Since June 2020 around $135 billion of the more than $1 trillion that flowed in during March, April and May last year has been redeemed. Indeed, net flows to US Money Market Funds YTD are positive.
Topic Industry News
Zephyr Portfolio Analytics
By Ryan Nauman 16 Aug 2021
It’s a busy week ahead for economic data. The release of the July retail sales number will be high on my list of items to watch as consumer spending will continue to be a very important driver of the economic expansion moving forward. Furthermore, the consumer balance sheet remains strong as the job market is gaining momentum which should provide the consumer with more confidence to spend, however, the surging Delta variant may hinder some spending moving forward. Finally, the housing market will be back in focus during the upcoming week. Lumber prices have fallen, which should be music to the ears of builder’s and help increase new home inventory. However, mortgage rates are expected to rise, which will pressure home affordability.
Topic Industry News
EPFR - fund flow & allocations data
By Cameron Brandt 13 Aug 2021
Early August saw Covid-19 cases rising in many corners of the world, US producer prices climbing at their highest rate since the metric was introduced in 2010, French protestors taking to the streets to fight vaccine mandates, US lawmakers arguing about debt ceilings and another $3.5 trillion spending package, the UN making apocryphal predictions about climate change and the clock continue to tick down on the Angela Merkel era in Germany. Faced with the daunting task of piecing together the shape of the ‘new normal’ from these and other trends and data points, investors focused on something they do understand – corporate earnings. With companies on both sides of the Atlantic pumping out eye-catching reports for the second quarter, EPFR-tracked Global Equity Funds extended an inflow streak stretching back to the final week of 2Q20, US Equity Funds absorbed fresh money for the 25th time in the 32 weeks year-to-date and flows into Europe Equity Funds hit an eight-week high. Despite high flying equity indexes, European investors are still gravitating to cash. Europe Money Market Funds, which have posted inflows for seven straight weeks, are the leading group in flow terms quarter-to-date. During the second quarter they recorded the biggest outflow and major EPFR-tracked fund groups.
Topic Industry News
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