Mutual Fund Assets Plunge in October

The combined assets of the nation's mutual funds decreased by $1.087 trillion, or 10.2%, to $9.6 trillion in October, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI).

Long-term funds—stock, bond, and hybrid funds—had a net outflow of $126.85 billion in October, versus an outflow of $63.82 billion in September (see Funds See September Asset Drop).

Stock funds posted an outflow of $72.29 billion in October, compared with an outflow of $56.36 billion in September, according to ICI data. Among stock funds, world equity funds (U.S. funds that invest primarily overseas) posted an outflow of $24.96 billion, while funds that invest primarily in the U.S. had an outflow of $47.32 billion.

Hybrid funds posted an outflow of $13.97 billion in October, compared with an outflow of $6.49 billion in September.

Bond funds experienced an asset drop of $40.59 billion in October, compared with an outflow of $973 million in September. Taxable bond funds had an outflow of $32.22 billion, and municipal bond funds had an outflow of $8.38 billion.

Only money market funds had an inflow in October ($142.14 billion), a turnaround from an outflow of $87.57 billion in September. Funds offered primarily to institutions had an inflow of $120.06 billion, while funds offered primarily to individuals had an inflow of $22.08 billion.

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