Statistical Highlights:

1. Investment fund assets worldwide increased 4.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009, to reach EUR 15.9 trillion at end 2009.  Total net assets rose by 17 percent in 2009, or EUR 2,338 billion.

2. Net inflows into all funds were EUR 82 billion in the fourth quarter, marking the fifth consecutive quarter with positive net flows.  For the year as a whole, net cash flows into all investment funds worldwide were EUR 285 billion, compared with the EUR 236 billion in 2008.

3. Net inflows to long-term funds (all funds excluding money market funds) slowed down to EUR 222 billion in the fourth quarter, from EUR 271 billion in the third quarter.  Equity, bond and balanced funds recorded net inflows of EUR 42 billion, EUR 121 billion and EUR 31 billion, respectively, in the fourth quarter.  Long-term funds had net inflows of EUR 730 billion in 2009, compared to net outflows of EUR 401 billion in 2008.

4. In contrast to long-term funds, money market funds continued to experience net outflows, with EUR 139 billion of net outflows in the fourth quarter, down from EUR 198 billion in the previous quarter.  Money market funds had net outflows of EUR 444 billion in 2009, compared to net inflows of EUR 636 billion in 2008.

5. At the end of 2009, assets of equity funds represented 39 percent of all investment fund assets worldwide.  The asset share of bond funds was 20 percent and the asset share of balanced/mixed funds was 10 percent.  Money market fund assets represented 23 percent of the worldwide total.

6. Taking into account non-UCITS, the market share of Europe in the world market reached 37.8 percent at the end 2009, and that of the United States 44 percent.  Excluding non-UCITS, the share of Europe and the United States reached 31.4 percent and 48.5 percent, respectively.