Assets invested in active exchange-traded funds and products and in their smart beta counterparts showed the greatest annual increases since 2009 when markets recovered from the financial crisis, according to ETFGI, a research and consultancy firm.
Assets in active funds and products listed globally grew by 53.4% for the year to date through November, amassing record net inflows of $23.7 billion. This investment bonanza was 141.2% more than net inflows for all of 2016, and more than double the previous year-to-date record set last year.
Total assets in active products now stand at some $69 billion.
ETFGI reported that the majority of new flows could be attributed to the top 20 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $14.1 billion during 2017. The Pimco Enhanced Short Maturity Strategy Fund (MINT US) on its own accounted for net inflows of $2.2 billion.
For the year through November, smart beta funds and products listed globally experienced record net inflows of $68.7 billion, compared with inflows of $45.9 billion for the same period in 2016, and 22% more than for all of 2016.
With November flows of $9.1 billion, global assets total some $670 billion.
