27 associations representing more than 99.6 percent of total UCITS and non-UCITS assets at end January 2015 provided us with net sales and/or net assets data.
The main developments in January 2015 in the reporting countries can be summarized as follows:
- Net sales of UCITS jumped in January to EUR 83 billion, compared to net outflows of EUR 12 billion in December. This turnaround in net sales came on the back of a large increase in net sales of long-term UCITS and a strong return to positive net sales of money market funds.
- Long-term UCITS (UCITS excluding money market funds) net inflows increased substantially to EUR 55 billion in January, up from EUR 16 billion in December. Bond fund net sales returned to positive territory in January posting inflows of EUR 18 billion, against net outflows of EUR 1 billion in December. Equity funds posted net sales of EUR 9 billion, up from breakeven point in December. Balanced funds enjoyed a rise in net sales to EUR 27 billion in January, up from EUR 13 billion in December.
- Money market fund net sales returned to positive territory in January posting inflows of EUR 28 billion in January, compared to net outflows of EUR 28 billion in December.
- Total non-UCITS net sales increased in January to EUR 22 billion, up from EUR 16 billion in December. Net sales of special funds (funds reserved to institutional investors) rose to EUR 19 billion from EUR 13 billion in December.
- Total net assets of UCITS stood at EUR 8,425 billion at end January 2015, representing a 4.9 percent increase during the month. Total net assets of non-UCITS increased 5.5 percent to stand at EUR 3,385 billion at month end. Overall, total net assets of the European investment fund industry stood at EUR 11,814 billion at end January 2015.
Net sales of UCITS increased considerably in January on the back of the ECB decision to launch a quantitative easing programme and the related expectation of stronger economic growth and lower interest rates in the euro area.
