Long-term mutual funds collected $414.6 billion in 2019, more than double 2018’s $168.3 billion, according to new research from Morningstar.
Money market flows received $547.5 billion in inflows, the group’s best year since 2008’s record $593.6 billion.
And thanks to rising markets, long-term assets grew in 2019 to $20.7 trillion from $16.9 trillion.
The strong long-term inflows in both December and for all of 2019 was due almost entirely to record inflows for both taxable-bond and municipal-bond funds, which collected $413.9 billion and $105.5 billion, respectively for the year, and $50.3 billion and $10.2 billion, respectively for December.
More active angst
Of course, not everyone reaped the benefits of the current bull which, from a behavioral standpoint, might not be a bad thing.
The S&P 500 gained an incredible 31.5% in 2019, yet active U.S. equity funds saw $41.4 billion in outflows, the sixth year of net outflows during the decade-long bull market.
As expected, their passive counterparts were the main beneficiaries, garnering $162.8 billion in inflows, finishing the year with 51.2% market share based on total assets.
With greater 2019 flows than their active counterparts, passive taxable-bond funds now have a third of that market.
In December, investors directed $25.3 billion of inflows to passive U.S. equity funds, but $23.5 billion of outflows from actively managed U.S. equity funds.
Victorious Vanguard
Among the top-10 largest U.S. fund families, Vanguard saw its best month of the year in December with inflows of $22.3 billion. Its $183.3 billion in inflows for 2019 topped 2018’s $162.9 billion, and the firm’s long-term assets grew by $1.1 trillion to $5.3 trillion—a 25.7% market share.
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index II saw the greatest inflows of 2019 with $29.7 billion. This fund is only available to investors through target-date funds, and this same dynamic likely propelled the $29.0 billion of inflows into Vanguard Total International Bond Index. Both currently have a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Silver.
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
