U.S. mutual fund investors poured an estimated $55 billion into stock and bond funds in May, according to mutual fund industry research firm Strategic Insight.
Investors put a net $30 billion into bond funds, of which $3 billion went into bond ETFs, according to a Strategic Insight news release issued today. A net $25 billion went into stock funds, of which $11 billion went into equity ETFs.
May was the second consecutive month with net inflows of at least $50 billion or more, the release said. Prior to April, the last time net inflows were $50 billion or more was February 2007. Recovery of investor confidence in the mutual fund industry could allow inflows for the first half of 2009 to top $150 billion, despite the extreme financial market and economic anxiety that prevailed in the first months of 2009, the release added.