Assets managed by Dutch investment firms fell 4.5% over the three months ended Sept. 30 to €737 billion ($794 billion), with the value of investments in equity strategies alone dropping 11.6%.
Total assets under management at Dutch investment firms fell 8.9% from all-time highs at the end of March; and dropped 1.2% from Sept. 30, 2014, according to statistics released by Dutch regulator De Nederlandsche Bank.
Assets managed in equity strategies fell 10.1% over the year to €244 billion.
Fixed-income AUM also declined 1.1% over the quarter but was down only 0.2% for the 12-month period. Assets managed in hedge fund strategies, however, gained value, up €200 million over the quarter. Asset figures and yearly comparisons were not available.
The total return of these investment funds was -4% during the quarter, which DNB said was similar to the previous quarter. Figures and yearly comparisons were not available.
Equity strategies recorded investment returns of -10% over the quarter, with emerging markets and Asia-focused funds showing the biggest losses. DNB said emerging markets equities strategies lost 17.1% and Asia funds lost 12.9% over the quarter. The MSCI Emerging Markets index registered a loss of 18.9% over that same period, and the MSCI World index lost 9%, DNB said.
However, fixed-income strategies returned 0.3% over the period.
DNB said net inflows — the first since the third quarter of 2014 — slightly offset losses. Investment funds recorded €5.3 billion of net inflows in the three months ended Sept. 30. “Other funds,” which includes commodity and mortgage strategies, recorded net inflows of €5.1 billion. Bond funds added €3.5 billion of net inflows; equity strategies had €2.6 billion in net outflows; and real estate funds saw € 700 million in net outflows.
A spokesman for DNB could not be reached for further information by press time.