The sale of funds in Hong Kong continued to rise last year, despite volatile equity markets and a depressed investment climate.
According to the Hong Kong Investment Funds Association (HKIFA), the industry registered gross and net sales of US$37.47 billion and US$6.20 billion, respectively, for last year. HKIFA says gross sales were up 30.2 per cent over 2010, while net sales dropped 0.7 per cent.
Against a backdrop of low interest rates and high inflation, fund sales were robust in the first half of the year, HKIFA says. Most of the inflows of last year were registered in that period.
However, following the heavy sell-off of global equity markets due to the escalation of the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis and concerns about the outlook of the United States economy in the third quarter, fund sales dropped substantially after August. The fund industry witnessed net outflows in September and October of US$469 million and US$290 million, respectively. The industry returned to net inflows, albeit modestly, towards the end of the year, HKIFA says. Bond fund sales were best supported with 44.4 per cent of overall sales, while equity funds were marginally behind with 43.5 per cent.
In reviewing fund sales last year, Kerry Ching, chairman of HKIFA, points out that fund sales had a strong start when Hong Kong investors were keen to put their money to work in a high inflation and low interest-rate environment.
'However, spooked by concerns about the global economic outlook and the contagion effect of the euro-zone sovereign debt crisis, investors' risk aversion increased and sales lost momentum in the second half of the year.