Strong start to 2019 for ETFs


The Australian exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry continues to grow strongly, with Q1 2019 cash flows reaching $1,864 million and returns bouncing back from December lows, according to the figures from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
While international equity ETFs continued to receive the strongest cash flows, ETF investors had also focused on fixed income ETFs.
International equity ETFs received 37.4 per cent of total cash inflows, while fixed income ETFs recorded 27.5 per cent of flows during the quarter.
Damien Sherman, Vanguard’s head of ETF capital markets, said they saw renewed optimism from investors this quarter following disappointing returns at the end of 2018.
“Vanguard continues to see strong flows, particularly into its broad-based index ETFs which represent a low cost solution for investors looking to add instant diversification to their portfolios", Sherman said.
“And this quarter we recorded our strongest start to a year ever with $624 million in inflows.”
“With the addition more recently of our active ETF offerings, we are seeking to provide additional choice for investors while maintaining our promise of quality, diversified ETFs offered at competitive prices that let investors keep more of the returns they earn.”
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