Flows Reflect Investor Caution

With many possible shifts in economic policy fund flows were relatively weak during the first week of November, according to the EPFR Global News Release. Only money market funds and funds dedicated to European and Japanese assets saw significant inflows.

Overall, EPFR Global-tracked bond funds took in a net $1.7 billion during the week ending Nov. 6 and money market funds $22.2 billion while $1.7 billion flowed out of equity funds. Internationally, over $7 billion pulled out of U.S. equity funds and flows into global equity funds heavily favoring those with ex-U.S. mandates while redemptions from U.S. high yield bond and technology sector funds hit 11 week and nine year highs respectively. Mexico, also shared in the U.S.' dismay as the Mexico equity funds extended their longest outflow streak since 4Q10.

Investors shaping their strategies for next year are looking ahead to the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee's 3rd plenary session starting this weekend, the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting and the European Union leaders' summit in December and the expiration of the temporary U.S. debt and budget extensions in early 1Q14. Concrete proposals and a timetable for the structural reforms promised by Japan's government could also be added to the mix before the year's end.

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