The global exchange-traded product industry registered its best first quarter ever, amassing net inflows of $70.1 billion in the three months ended March 31, according to the BlackRock ETF Landscape report, released Tuesday.
The previous record for the first quarter was set in 2012, when $65.5 billion of net inflows were recorded, said Dodd Kittsley, global head of ETP research at BlackRock, in an interview.
Equities accounted for $65.1 billion, or 93%, of the net inflows in the latest quarter with $60.5 billion of that going into developed-market equity products.
U.S. equity ETPs had the largest net inflows among the equity group, accounting for $37.3 billion in the quarter.
“Certainly an improvement in economic data along with a higher comfort level with U.S. equities are contributing to the inflows,” Mr. Kittsley said.
