ETFGI Reports Assets Invested In The European ETF And ETP Industry Reached A New Record US$859.51 Billion At The End Of March 2019

ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm covering trends in the global ETF/ETP ecosystem, reported today that ETFs and ETPs listed in Europe gathered net inflows of US$6.10 billion in March, bringing year-to-date net inflows to US$31.59 billion, more than the US$27.27 Bn gathered at this point last year. Assets invested in the European ETF/ETP industry finished the month up 1.09%, from US$850.28 billion at the end of February, to US$859.51 billion, according to ETFGI's March 2019 European ETF and ETP industry landscape insights report, an annual paid-for research subscription service. (All dollar values in USD unless otherwise noted.)

Highlights

• April 11th marks the 19th anniversary of the listing of the first ETF in Europe
• Assets invested in the European ETF/ETP industry reach $859.51 Bn in March 2019, the highest on record.
• Assets invested in the European ETF/ETP industry have risen 11.95% year-to-date.
• 54th consecutive month of net inflows into ETFs/ETPs listed in Europe.

“Markets appear to have returned to the relative calm they had grown accustomed to over the past few years. Returns for developed indices decelerated in March, as the effects of more cautious and accommodative central bank policies lose steam. The S&P 500 finished March up 1.94%, with year-to-date returns of 13.65%, marking its best quarter since ‘09. The S&P Europe 350 rose 0.92% in March, as economic data from the region continues to send mixed signals, bringing year-to-date returns to 10.90%. The Topix 150 in Japan was up 0.32% in March, bringing year-to-date returns of 7.96%. Emerging & Frontier returns continued to outpace developed markets. The S&P Emerging BMI and Frontier BMI finished March up 1.74% and 1.37%, bringing year to date returns to 10.45% and 8.82%, respectively.” according to Deborah Fuhr, managing partner and founder of ETFGI.

April 11th marks the 19th anniversary of the listing of the first ETFs in Europe.  European Exchange Traded Fund Company launched two listed diversified return securities (LDRS) on the Deutsche Borse. These funds are co-managed by Merrill Lynch and track the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 50 indexes.

At the end of March 2019, the European ETF/ETP industry had 2,327 ETFs/ETPs, from 69 providers listed on 29 exchanges. Following net inflows of $6.10 Bn and market moves during the month, assets invested in the European ETF/ETP industry increased by 1.09% from $850.28 Bn at the end of February, to $859.51 Bn.

Growth in European ETF and ETP assets as of the end of March 2019

Equity ETFs/ETPs listed in Europe saw net outflows of $846.49 Mn in March, bringing net inflows for 2019 to $10.18 Bn, substantially less than the $22.49 Bn in net inflows equity products had attracted by the end of March 2018. Fixed income ETFs/ETPs listed in Europe attracted net inflows of $6.58 Bn in March, bringing net inflows for 2019 to $19.91 Bn, considerably greater than the $3.46 Bn in net inflows fixed income products had attracted by the end of March 2018.

Substantial inflows can be attributed to the top 20 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $7.97 Bn in March, the iShares Core € Corp Bond UCITS ETF (IEBC LN) gathered $1.26 Bn alone.

Top 20 ETFs by net new assets March 2019: Europe

The top 10 ETPs by net new assets collectively gathered $327.43 Mn in March, the Xtrackers Physical Gold GBP Hedged ETC (XGLS LN) gathered $63.57 Mn alone.

Top 10 ETPs by net new assets March 2019: Europe

Investors have tended to invest in large cap equity/fixed income ETFs in March.