Mutual fund assets worldwide increased 3.0 percent to $26.84 trillion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2012, an all-time high. Worldwide net cash flow to all funds was $421 billion in the fourth quarter, compared to $181 billion of net inflows in the third quarter of 2012. Flows into long-term funds increased to $284 billion in the fourth quarter from an inflow of $195 billion in the previous quarter. Equity funds worldwide had net inflows of $18 billion in the fourth quarter compared to $57 billion of net outflows in the third quarter. Flows into bond funds totaled $211 billion in the fourth quarter, up from net inflows of $194 billion in the previous quarter. Inflows to money market funds were $137 billion in the fourth quarter of 2012, reversing the net outflows registered in the first three quarters of 2012.
The Investment Company Institute compiles worldwide statistics on behalf of the International Investment Funds Association, an organization of national mutual fund associations. The collection for the third quarter of 2012 contains statistics from 45 countries.
The growth rate of total mutual fund assets reported in U.S. dollars was made larger by U.S. dollar depreciation. For example, on a U.S. dollar–denominated basis, mutual fund assets in Europe increased by 4.1 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with an increase of 2.1 percent on a Euro-denominated basis.
The complete report can be downloaded here.