Barclays Global Investors exchange-traded fund provider iShares has reported record net inflows in Europe after securing EUR17.8 (USD25bn) billion in net new ETF assets in 2008, a three
Barclays Global Investors exchange-traded fund provider iShares has reported record net inflows in Europe after securing EUR17.8 (USD25bn) billion in net new ETF assets in 2008, a threefold increase from EUR5.8bn (USD7.5bn) in 2007.
On a global basis, iShares had a record year, with net inflows of USD89bn in ETF assets from investors in North America, Europe, Middle East, Japan, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America compared with USD70bn the previous year.
‘The challenging market conditions of 2008 have raised some key issues in the minds of investors, specifically: transparency, counterparty risk, product structure and liquidity,’ says iShares Europe chief executive Rory Tobin.
‘We believe that we have seen a significant shift in investors’ risk appetite in their evaluation of counterparty risk and their desire for liquidity. We have also seen a heightened desire for increased transparency in relation to the issues of cost, risk and return as they relate to investment alternatives. These themes play to the strengths of our iShares exchange-traded funds.’
