Flows into exchange-traded funds (ETF) and exchange-traded product, (ETPs) listed globally hit a new record high of $2.64 trillion in assets, said a report.

The ETF is an investment fund traded on stock exchanges, much like stocks, while ETPs include exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes.

The ETFs and ETPs gathered $34.8 billion in net new assets in June and $126.6 billion year-to-date, which outpaces the previous high of $106.4 billion at this point set in 2012, according to preliminary data from ETFGI.

Net flows combined with positive market performance during the first half pushed assets in the global ETF/ETP industry to a new record high of $2.64 trillion invested in 5,359 ETFs/ETPs, with 10,401 listings, from 219 providers listed on 59 exchanges,
stated the Global ETF and ETP industry insights report.

The ETF/ETP industry in most countries and regions reached new record highs in assets at the end of second quarter, including: in the US ($1.86 trillion); Europe ($470 billion); in Asia Pacific excluding Japan ($96.7 billion); Japan ($90.1 billion); Canada ($65.7 billion) and in the Middle East and Africa ($43.5 billion).

"In June investors invested almost all net new money into equity exposures with the US and emerging markets being the preferred allocations. The S&P 500 index ended up 7 per cent at the end of the second quarter, closing at an all-time high (1963) on June 20," remarked Deborah Fuhr, the managing parter at ETFGI.

"Internationally, developed markets gained 2 per cent and emerging markets are up 4 per cent. The positive equity market performance has helped to improve investor confidence during the first half of 2014," she stated.

At the end of Q2 ETFs/ETPs had gathered a record level of $126.6 billion in net inflows. Equity ETFs/ETPs gathered $84.2 billion, followed by fixed income with $36.5 billion, while commodity ETFs/ETPs had net outflows of $3 billion.-TradeArabia News Service