EFAMA publishes worldwide International Fund Statistics at end December 2007

EFAMA's latest International Statistical Release:
+++ Trends in the Worldwide Investment Fund Industry Results for end 2007 +++

1. Investment fund assets worldwide decreased by 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2007, to reach EUR 17.8 trillion at the end of 2007.  For the year as a whole, total net assets grew by 7.9 percent.  Measured in U.S. dollar term, assets increased by 20.1 percent in 2007 – the difference with the growth in euro term reflecting the depreciation of the dollar.

2. Net cash flow to investment funds worldwide was EUR 299 billion in the fourth quarter, up from €259 billion in the third quarter.  Inflows to long-term funds rebounded to EUR 131 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007 compared to EUR 56 billion in the third quarter of 2007. Inflows to money market remained robust, with EUR 168 billion in inflows in the fourth quarter of 2007, down only slightly from the EUR 205 billion pace set in the third quarter. On an annual basis, net cash flows to all funds reached EUR 1.29 trillion in 2007, up by 9 percent from 2006.

3. At the end of December 2007, assets of equity funds (EUR 8.5 billion) represented 48 percent of all worldwide investment fund assets. Money market funds held a share of 19 percent, whereas bond funds and balanced funds represented 16 percent and 10 percent of the total, respectively.

4. Taking into account non-UCITS, the market share of Europe in the world market reached 38.8 percent at the end of 2007, and that of the United States 42.1 percent. Excluding non-UCITS, the share of Europe and the United States reached 33.2 percent and 46 percent, respectively.