Morningstar Reports U.S. Mutual Fund and Exchange-Traded Fund Flows for April 2021

Rhea-AI Summary

On May 17, 2021, Morningstar reported U.S. mutual fund and ETF flows for April 2021, revealing a total of $124 billion raised, a decrease from March's record of $156 billion. Most funds were invested in passive strategies, attracting $94 billion, while active funds garnered $30 billion. Taxable bond funds led inflows at $65 billion, whereas U.S. equity funds saw a minor outflow of just over $500 million. International equity funds continued their six-month growth streak with $31 billion in inflows.

Positive

• Taxable bond funds attracted $65 billion, the highest among categories.
• International-equity funds have recorded inflows for six consecutive months.

Negative

• Long-term mutual funds and ETFs experienced a decrease in inflows from $156 billion in March to $124 billion in April.
• U.S. equity funds shed over $500 million as investors paused after record inflows in March.

CHICAGO, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar, Inc. (Nasdaq: MORN), a leading provider of independent investment research, today reported estimated U.S. mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) flows for April 2021. For the month, long-term mutual funds and exchange-traded funds collected $124 billion in April, down from a record $156 billion in March. Investors continued to favor passively managed strategies, pouring in $94 billion; approximately $30 billion went to actively managed funds.

Morningstar's report about U.S. fund flows for April 2021 is available here. Additional highlights from the report include:

• Taxable bond funds took in $65 billion, the most of any category group. Bank-loan and inflation-protected bond funds added $5.8 billion and $5.5 billion in April, respectively.
• U.S. equity funds shed just over $500 million as investors paused after putting in a record $54 billion in March. The market's pivot to value-oriented niche categories continued in April. Equity categories such as financials, natural resources, real estate, and energy collected some of the highest totals within the sector-equity category group, which brought in $10.6 billion during the month.
• International-equity funds brought in $31 billion for the second month in a row. They have experienced inflows for six consecutive months following a spate of outflows beginning in March 2020.
• Allocation funds took in nearly $4 billion, representing the second month in a row of inflows after 69 consecutive months—nearly six years—of outflows. Target-date and model-portfolio rebalancing largely accounted for the month's inflows.
• Passive funds giant Vanguard took in the most assets among fund families, though primarily active shops such as American Funds and J.P. Morgan also enjoyed inflows.

The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed outside the scope of this press release; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

About Morningstar, Inc.  
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers and owners, retirement plan providers and sponsors, and institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $244 billion in assets under advisement and management as of March 31, 2021. The Company has operations in 29 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on Twitter @MorningstarInc. 

Morningstar's Manager Research Group consists of various wholly owned subsidiaries of Morningstar, Inc. including, but not limited to, Morningstar Research Services LLC. This press release is for informational purposes only; references to securities or a separately managed account investment strategy in this press release should not be considered an offer or solicitation to buy or sell the securities or to invest in accordance with that strategy. 

©2021 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MORN-R

Media Contact:
Erin Parro, newsroom@morningstar.com

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SOURCE Morningstar, Inc.

FAQ

What were Morningstar's mutual fund and ETF flows for April 2021?

Morningstar reported total flows of $124 billion in April 2021, down from $156 billion in March.

How much did passive and active funds attract in April 2021?

In April 2021, passive funds attracted $94 billion, while active funds collected $30 billion.

Which category of funds received the most inflows in April 2021?

Taxable bond funds led with inflows of $65 billion in April 2021.

Did U.S. equity funds experience inflows or outflows in April 2021?

U.S. equity funds saw outflows of just over $500 million in April 2021.

How much did international-equity funds bring in during April 2021?

International-equity funds attracted $31 billion in inflows for April 2021.