European ETF AUM hit all time high

Latest data from the ETF Research and Implementation Strategy team at Barclays Global Investors reveals European ETF Assets have been pushed to an all time high of US$192.1 bn at end August 2009, driven by emerging market and fixed income ETFs.

European ETF assets have hit an all time high of US$192.1 bn at the end of August 2009 which is 5.3% above the previous all time high of US$182.5 bn set in July 2009, and 20.2% above the high of US$159.9 Bn set in July 2008, according to the latest figures from Barclays Global Investors. The European ETF industry had 751 ETFs with 1,889 listings, assets of US$192.1 bn from 33 providers on 19 exchanges at the end of August 2009. YTD assets have risen by 34.7% which is more than the 21.6% rise in the MSCI Europe Index in US dollar terms.

Contrasting this to the latest data from Lipper FMI, net inflows to mutual funds (excluding ETFs) were US$60.2 Bn, while net sales of ETFs were US$15.2 Bn during the first six months of 2009.

Emerging Market equity ETFs have seen the largest increase in assets growing by US$8.8 Bn YTD to reach US$16.3 Bn at the end of August 2009. ETFs tracking European countries was the next most popular category in terms of absolute US$ growth, rising by US$8.4 Bn to reach US$34.8 Bn, followed by Fixed Income ETFs growing by US$6.1 Bn to reach US$46.9 Bn at the end of August 2009.

Deborah Fuhr, Global Head of ETF Research & Implementation Strategy at BGI said, "The net inflows of US$15.2 Bn in the past six months shows demand for ETFs is still growing as clients view ETFs as useful tools to help them implement many types of exposures".