US stock fund buyers pull out US$9.4b in one week
Withdrawals mark the biggest outflow from the products since July 2012 as Fed concerns deepen

Investors in funds based in the United States pulled roughly US$9.4 billion out of stock funds in the latest week, marking the biggest outflow from the funds since July 2012, data showed on Thursday.

The index dropped 2.53 per cent over the weekly reporting period as positive US economic data reinforced concerns that the Federal Reserve would soon scale back its US$85 billion in monthly bond purchases.
"Fed actions are front-and-centre," said Jeff Tjornehoj, head of Americas research at Lipper. "We had plenty of people trying to avoid the next sell-off" in US stocks, which could occur when the Fed announced a reduction in its bond-buying.
US stock markets fell over the week partly on hesitation leading up to August 21, when the Federal Open Market Committee released the minutes of its July 30-31 meeting.
The minutes offered few clues on the timing of a reduction in the Fed's bond-buying programme.