Tom Roseen discusses Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows. During the week the Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered its longest consecutive losing streak (eight days) since August 2, 2011, as investors contemplated Spain's partial nationalization of its fourth largest lender, Greece's struggle to form a coalition government after citizens rejected pro-austerity candidates throughout Europe, and April payroll figures disappointed, climbing just 115,000 verses an expected 163,000. However, Investors padded the coffers of the fund industry (including ETFs and open-end funds), injecting a net $3.4 billion for the week ended Wednesday, May 9, 2012. Conservative asset classes were the recipients of investors' cash, with money market funds attracting $4.4 billion (its first inflow in 11 weeks), taxable bond funds taking in $4.6 billion, and municipal debt funds, for the third consecutive week, drawing in $0.9 billion, while equity funds suffered $6.5 billion in net redemptions.

Matthew Lemieux reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended May 2, 2012. With generally negative economic news hitting the wire, it was quite surprising equity markets fared as well as they did. The tone was set in the U.S. with a lower than expected Q1 GDP result of 2.2%. That paired with the downgrade of Spanish debt and an increasing number of Eurozone countries falling into recession seemed to set the stage for redemptions in the fund space. Surprisingly, like the markets themselves, mutual funds—excluding money market products—kept investor’s interest as they reported net inflows of $2.9 billion for the week.

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended April 18, 2012. Ahead of the April 17 tax filing deadline, investors were net redeemers of fund assets (including ETFs), redeeming a net $2.3 billion for the week ended April 18, 2012. However, excluding money market funds redemptions (-$8.0 billion, their eight consecutive week of outflows), investors appeared to shrug off disappointing growth rate figures from China, a drop in consumer sentiment in April, and hints of rising borrowing costs for Spain, redeeming just $0.2 billion from equity funds, while padding the coffers of taxable bonds funds (+$5.7 billion) and municipal bond funds (+$0.2 billion).

After a spectacular run for the first quarter (with returns for the major indices ranging between 8.13% and 19.19%), investors pulled back slightly after hearing new home sales dipped 1.6% in February and global manufacturing data was weaker than expected, despite learning that jobless benefits declined to a four-year low last week. Many analysts believe the market is just taking a breather, and investors are taking some of their hard won profits off the table for spring break. Investors were net redeemers of fund assets for the week ended March 28, 2012, pulling out $10.0 billion from the funds business, including exchange-traded funds. Investors redeemed a net $2.6 billion from equity funds, while padding the coffers of taxable fixed income funds (+$4.4 billion) and tax-exempt bond funds (+$0.4 billion). However, for the fifth consecutive week, money market funds witnessed net outflows of $12.2 billion.

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended February 29, 2012. Despite lacklustre volume, investors were finally able to hold the Dow above 13,000 on Tuesday as the perception of the U.S. economy continued to improve. Although the index ended the week back below the coveted mark, mutual fund and ETFs investor seemed to share in the optimism as they injected $3.8 billion into the fund business. Overall, equity funds drew the majority of interest with net inflows of $7.5 billion. ETFs accounted for all the positive feelings as they posted gains of $7.7 billion—a stark comparison to their mutual fund brethren who continued to struggle with weekly outflows of $260 million. Taxable bond funds boasted their eleventh week of inflows with $3.0 billion as investors were once again split between investment grade funds (+$970 million) and High Yield (+$565 million) offerings. Municipal bond funds (+$357 million) posted net inflows for the week while money market funds pushed roughly $7.1 billion out their doors. Alternative asset classes also fared well as precious metal commodity funds drew in nearly $1.0 billion for the week—their largest weekly inflow since November 23, 2011.

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended November 16, 2011. Despite late-week European debt issues and new concerns about U.S. banks, mutual fund investors injected a net $10.0 billion into mutual funds--including ETFs--for the week ended November 16. Earlier in the week, investors cheered better-than-expected initial jobless claims, a jump in exports, and a 0.5%-leap in October retail sales and were net purchasers of equity funds, injecting $2.8 billion. Equity funds, including ETFs, witnessed their fifth consecutive week of net inflows; however, ex-ETFs saw their second week of outflows (-$0.2 billion). Interestingly, perhaps as a result of the on again/off again European debt issues, weary investors for the sixth consecutive week injected some $2.8 billion into taxable fixed income funds and for the second week in a row padded the coffers of money market funds to the tune of $2.9 billion. Municipal bond funds witnessed their sixth consecutive week of net inflows, taking in about $493 million.

After finishing up a sixth winning session in seven on Wednesday for the S&P 500, it was somewhat surprising to see mutual fund investors withdraw a net $2.6 billion from mutual funds--excluding ETFs--for the week ended October 12. Investors appeared to shrug off a better-than-expected nonfarm payroll report, a surge in equity indices, and a sixth round of loans for flailing Greece, and were net redeemers of equity funds, pulling out $3.1 billion. Despite finishing the week up 6.34%, equity funds suffered their fifth consecutive week of outflows. Interestingly, despite a decline in Treasury prices and a jump in yields because of a lackluster sale of the 3-year note on Tuesday, weary investors injected some $2.6 billion into taxable fixed income funds for the first week in three, while pulling out $2.2 billion from money market funds--their first week of net redemptions in three. Municipal bond funds witnessed their fifth week in six of net inflows, taking in about $52 million.

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended August 31, 2011. On the back of a four-day market rally, investors injected a net $14.1 billion into the funds business for the week ended August 31, 2011. Equity funds (including exchange traded funds [ETFs]) attracted their largest net inflows (+$6.3 billion) since May 4, 2011; however, ETF inflows accounted for the majority of net new money. Investors added a net $1.1 billion to the coffers of conventional equity funds (ex-ETFs), with Equity Income Funds taking in $0.9 billion. For the second consecutive week, taxable bond funds took in net money, attracting $1.8 billion, while municipal debt funds witnessed their sixth consecutive week of outflows (-$282 million), despite posting positive returns for the week.

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended August 10, 2011. Despite earning next to nothing in yields, shell-shocked investors injected a net $47.5 billion into money market funds for the week ended August 10, 2011, the largest weekly net inflow since January 2009. In an effort to stem the bleeding from the recent market freefall, investors took risk off their portfolios, redeeming $14.4 billion from equity funds (including exchange traded products) and $6.9 billion from fixed income funds (their second consecutive week of outflows and largest since the week ended August 10, 2008). Shrugging off the recent downgrade of U.S. sovereign debt, investors injected some $749 million into U.S. Treasury funds, their largest net inflows since June 30, 2010, while high current yield funds and bank loan funds experienced significant redemptions. A few brave investors putting money back to work injected net flows into equity income funds (+$0.3 billion), commodity precious metals funds (+$1.6 billion), and international and global debt funds (+$0.2 billion).

Tom Roseen reviews Lipper's U.S. weekly fund flows for the week ended July 27, 2011. Despite learning about a slew of strong earnings reports and optimistic second-half guidance, the European Council’s agreement to support Greece, and improved consumer confidence, mutual fund investors remained rattled by the U.S. Congress debt ceiling stalemate and pulled a net $33.8 billion from the conventional mutual funds business--excluding ETFs--for the week ended July 27.