Mutual fund investors' confidence in the markets appears to be steadily growing, with several fund categories having their biggest inflows of the year last week.
Global and emerging market bond funds, as well as global stock funds and sector funds, had year-to-date high inflows during the week ended Sept. 17. At the same time, money market funds had their second-biggest weekly outflows this year, according to EPFR Global of Boston.
U.S. bond funds had the most inflows in the week, adding $2.8 billion. Figures released earlier in the week showed that through August, more than 90% of mutual fund inflows had gone to taxable bond and municipal bond funds.
The week had about $3 billion flow into sector-specific stock funds, with commodity sector funds taking in $1.1 billion — their highest inflows since EPFR Global began tracking them in early 2006. Real estate sector funds took in $925 million, a two-and-a-half-year high.
