Assets invested in ETFs and ETPs in Europe increased by 40.1 per cent during 2017 according to data providers ETFGI, reaching a new high of USD802.38 billion at the end of December.
Assets invested in European-listed ETFs/ETPs grew by a record USD229.76 billion during 2017, over double the previous record of USD67.00 billion set in 2016.
The increase of 40.1 per cent, from USD572.62 billion at the end of 2016, also represents the greatest growth in assets since 2009 when markets recovered following the 2008 financial crisis.
ETFGI writes that this record was achieved on the 25th anniversary of the listing of the first ETF in the US, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY US), on 22nd January 1993. At the end of 2017, SPY on its own accounted for assets of USD271.39 billion, ETFGI writes.
During 2017 ETFs/ETPs listed in Europe saw record net inflows of USD108.28 billion; 94.4 per cent more than net inflows for 2016, and over double the average for net inflows over the previous five years. December 2017 also marked the 38th consecutive month of net inflows into European-listed ETFs/ETPs, with USD1.63 billion gathered during the month.
The majority of these flows can be attributed to the top 20 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered USD33.60 billion during 2017. The iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Govt Bond UCITS ETF (SEML LN) on its own accounted for net inflows of USD2.93 billion, according to ETFGI.
