Insight November 2016

A slow, yet tumultuous, year for mutual fund sales has nearly come to an end. Capital markets during most of 2016 were volatile and uninviting, while fund sponsors scrambled to adapt to deep-rooted changes in delivery, changes that have resulted in investors and advisors favouring—to an extent—low-cost products such as ETFs. Intense competition and downwards price adjustments also added to the baleful brew. Mutual fund sales suffered the consequences of the inauspicious environment, returning to levels unseen since 2012. The November issue of Insight examines the recent sales pattern of investment funds across asset classes, companies and product structures. The Trendlines article looks at segregated fund sales through the year, paying special attention to their impact on mutual funds.