(Reuters) – Global money market and government bond funds obtained massive weekly inflows as investors rushed to safer assets on fears of contagion from the collapse of three U.S. banks last week.
The turmoil triggered outflows from riskier equity funds, although sentiment improved on Thursday after large U.S. banks injected funds into San Francisco-based First Republic Bank, and Swiss bank Credit Suisse clinched an emergency central bank loan.
Global money market funds drew $112.13 billion in the week to March 15, data from Refinitiv Lipper showed. Government bond funds received $8.22 billion during the period, the biggest weekly inflow since July 13, 2022.
(Graphic: Fund flows: Global equities, bonds and money market – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/lgvdkjkdapo/Fund%20flows-%20Global%20equities%20bonds%20and%20money%20market.jpg)
Investors pulled out $19.2 billion from global equity funds, in their biggest weekly net selling since the third week of December.
The U.S., European and Asian equity funds all witnessed withdrawals, amounting to a net $17.22 billion, $3.31 billion and $270 million, respectively.
Among equity sector funds, healthcare, industrials and metals & mining suffered $645 million, $613 million and $258 million worth of net selling, respectively. Consumer discretionary, however, obtained a net $507 million inflow.
(Graphic: Fund flows: Global equity sector funds – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/egpbyjyrbvq/Fund%20flows-%20Global%20equity%20sector%20funds.jpg)
Global bond funds recorded their first weekly outflow in 11 weeks, amounting a net $5.15 billion, with high-yield funds witnessing $2.51 billion worth of net disposals.
(Graphic: Global bond fund flows in the week ended March 15 – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/dwvkdkdxnpm/Global%20bond%20fund%20flows%20in%20the%20week%20ended%20March%2015.jpg)
Among commodity funds, precious metal funds obtained about $250 million, the biggest weekly inflow in seven weeks, while energy funds saw marginal outflow of $33 million.
Data for 23,846 emerging market funds showed investors exited $1.23 billion worth of bond funds, and withdrew $1.37 billion out of equity funds after nine weeks of net purchases in a row.
(Graphic: Fund flows: EM equities and bonds – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/klpygqgalpg/Fund%20flows-%20EM%20equities%20and%20bonds.jpg)
(Reporting by Gaurav Dogra and Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
