2021 Closes Out on an Optimistic Note Despite Multiple Bumps in the Road
Our quarterly markets review digs into inflation risks and the impact of the Great Resignation.
Alina Lamy
Alina Lamy is a senior analyst on the quantitative research team at Morningstar. She writes the firm’s monthly asset flows commentary on open-end mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. She provides research, data analysis, graphics, and editorial coverage for multiple Morningstar publications including the Morningstar Markets Observer, Image Library, Article Library, and Andex charts. Alina has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg, and Barron’s.
Lamy holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in business administration from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Latest
Investors Flee U.S. Equity Funds, Run Into Arms of International Fare
February was a tough month for fund flows in general.
New Year, Not-So-New Trends in Fund Flows
January fund flows set a new monthly record with taxable bond funds continuing to dominate.
A Surprise for Active Funds in 2017
Passive funds continued to rake in the assets last year, but active funds stemmed their outflows significantly.
Funds Receive Record Inflows in 2017
Despite an ongoing U.S. stock market rally, investors favored taxable-bond and international-equity funds last year.
Despite Ongoing Stock Market Rally, Fund Investors Cling to Bonds
Taxable bond funds enjoyed the greatest inflows in November while U.S. equity funds remained in redemption.
Investors Embrace U.S. Stocks, Sort Of
U.S. equity funds saw inflows in October, but those flows were still well behind those going to international-equity and taxable bond.
Investors Prefer Bonds
Taxable bond funds remained popular last month, and the sector equity category group took a surprising second place.
Investors Shy Away from Equities, Embrace Bonds in August
Large growth, large value, and high yield weren't among the cool kids in August.
No Summer Break for Taxable Bond, International Equity Funds
U.S. stock funds suffered outflows in July, due largely to redemptions from actively managed funds.
Performance and Cost Driving Assets to Passive Funds
Better performance from active funds recently hasn't stemmed the flow of money into U.S. equity index funds.
International Stock Funds Take Lead Over U.S. Equities
Taxable bond funds maintain the overall top spot in terms of asset flows in April.
Why Do Investors Keep Buying Bond Funds?
Intermediate-term bonds are gaining assets despite a rising interest-rate environment as investors continue to seek diversification and income.
Have U.S. Equity Funds Turned a Corner?
These funds have been in positive-flow territory for four consecutive months, though taxable-bond funds continued to dominate the fund-flows story in February.
Where Investors Worldwide Are Placing Their Bets
Our analysis of global asset flows in 2016 finds that investors embraced bonds, favored passive products, and sought low-cost options.
Investors Return to Bonds in January
International-equity fund flows pick up, and bank loan funds find an audience.
In Bonds, Active Funds Still Attracting Assets
Unlike on the equity side, actively managed fixed-income funds are still seeing net inflows of investors' dollars.
Funds Flows Sluggish in August
Intermediate-term bond funds remain popular kids, and emerging-markets funds get some attention, too.
Investors Continue to Flee Active U.S. Equity Funds
Though most global indexes have rebounded after Brexit, outflows from international equity funds have worsened.
Investors Keep Flocking to Safety
Elevated levels of uncertainty in the stock market are leading to sustained inflows into bonds, says Morningstar's Alina Lamy.
Investors Embrace Bond Funds, Shun International Equity
Brexit concerns prompt investors to redeem international equity funds, both active and passive, while taxable-bond funds bring in $15 billion and commodity inflows stage a comeback.
What Does Brexit Mean for U.S. Investors?
As Britain weighs the immigration, cost-benefit, and trade implications of E.U. membership, U.S. investors should check their risk exposure to Europe.
Low-Volatility ETFs at the Popular Table
Although asset flows into these funds have been robust this year, be mindful of expenses and don't chase performance, warns Morningstar's Alina Lamy.
Investors Remain Infatuated with Bond Funds in April
International-equity funds experience outflows, American Funds overtakes Fidelity in terms of assets, and the large-blend category enjoys inflows thanks to two funds.
Retail Stocks Shellacked Even as Consumers Open Their Wallets
Friday's retail sales report dispelled any notion that the consumer is afraid to spend, writes Morningstar's Bob Johnson.
April Job Report Not All Gloom and Doom
Gains in hours worked and hourly wage rates offset some of the sting of slower employment growth.
Investors Snub All But the Lowest-Cost Funds
Fund inflow data show that investors' preference for low-cost funds has been even stronger than expected.
U.S. Economy: A One-Trick Pony
The consumer-related categories have been the only engines really driving economic growth, writes Morningstar's Bob Johnson.
Investors' Appetite Shifts to Riskier Bond Funds
Fund flows during the first quarter revealed that investors moved from more defensive to higher-yielding bond funds, and flows into passive bond funds picked up.
Should Investors Be More Worried About Manufacturing and Earnings Data?
Market participants are instead cheering a rise in oil prices and the fact that earnings season could be a lot worse.
Residential Investment Still Growing While Businesses Remain Tightfisted
Residential investment growth is likely to outpace business investment spending in 2016 for the second year in a row.
What Fund Flows Say About Market Sentiment
There is a striking difference between how flows were distributed a year ago versus today.
Investors Turn to Taxable-Bond, Commodity Funds in February
Meanwhile, outflows from active U.S. equity funds and inflows to passive funds continued.
Commodities Funds: Handle With Care
Energy funds saw surprising inflows in January, but opportunistic investors should be mindful of the volatility and refrain from trying to time the market.
Despite Rocky Market, Few Surprises in January's Fund Flows
The exceptions: Momentum in muni-bond fund flows, and commodities funds show signs of life.
Investors Head Toward the Exits of Active U.S. Funds
2015 saw the largest outflows from U.S. equity funds--driven by redemptions at actively managed funds--and the largest inflows to international-stock funds.
Investors Still Hungry for International Equity Funds
Continuing a year-long trend, investors poured money into international-equity funds in November.
Reversal of Fortune in Fund Flows
Taxable-bond funds attracted more new assets in October than other fund types.