Retail Investors Partial To Foreign Equities Over The Past Two Years
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View from the Observation Deck 

  1. From 1/14 through 1/16 (most recent monthly data), investors liquidated a net $46.68 billion from open-end mutual funds (does not include money market funds), according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI). 
  2. The major fund categories in the chart indicate that investors funneled the most capital into foreign equities, which is interesting considering all of the attention focused on the slowdown in global growth over the past two years. 
  3. The biggest net outflows came from Domestic Equity funds, which invest primarily in U.S. stocks. Investors liquidated a net $246.4 billion from these funds despite the relative strength of the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar.
  4. Investors were not buyers of global bonds. The ICI's Global Bond category, not shown in the chart, reported net outflows totaling $7.2 billion for the period.
  5. Like U.S. stocks, investors were not fans of high yield corporate bonds. The ICI's High Yield category, not shown in the chart, reported net outflows totaling $87.3 billion for the period.

The chart and performance data referenced are for illustrative purposes only.

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Posted on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 @ 2:16 PM

These posts were prepared by First Trust Advisors L.P., and reflect the current opinion of the authors. They are based upon sources and data believed to be accurate and reliable. Opinions and forward looking statements expressed are subject to change without notice. This information does not constitute a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any security.