(Reuters) - Global bond funds faced their first weekly outflow in seven months in the week to Oct. 13, due to worries that higher inflation levels would prompt central banks to roll back their crisis-era support sooner than expected.
According to data from Lipper, investors sold a net $2.3 billion in global bond funds, marking their first weekly net selling since March 10.
Graphic: Fund flows into global equities bonds and money markets: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/byprjrqorpe/Fund%20flows%20into%20global%20equities%20bonds%20and%20money%20markets.jpg
The two-year Treasury yield, which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, surged to a 1-1/2 year high of 0.394% this week, after data showed that consumer prices climbed in September. However, inflation-protected bond funds, which act as a hedge against a decline in prices of goods and services, attracted $1.83 billion, the biggest in 2-1/2 months.
Graphic: Global bond funds' flows in the week ended Oct 13: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/klvykznemvg/Global%20bond%20funds'%20flows%20in%20the%20week%20ended%20Oct%2013.jpg
Meanwhile, global equity funds saw some meagre purchases, obtaining just $99.95 million, compared with inflows of $6.36 billion in the previous week.
Chinese equity funds faced a fourth consecutive weekly outflow of $391 million, while Japanese equity funds saw $1.13 billion worth of net selling.
Among sector funds, financials received $1.63 billion, a 70% increase over the previous week. Tech funds attracted $220 million, while communication services and materials saw outflows of $494 million and $285 million, respectively.
Graphic: Global fund flows into equity sectors: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/lbpgnolrbvq/Global%20fund%20flows%20into%20equity%20sectors.jpg
Global money market funds received a net $1.25 billion in inflows, compared with $14.1 billion in the previous week.
Among commodity funds, energy funds received inflows of $243 million after a outflow in the previous week, while precious metals funds faced a third consecutive weekly outflow of $482 million.
An analysis of 23,430 emerging market funds showed, investors sold bond funds for a fourth straight week, worth $2.84 billion, and turned sellers in equity funds, with net sales of $701 million.
Graphic: Fund flows into EM equities and bonds: https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/lgpdwlomovo/Fund%20flows%20into%20EM%20equities%20and%20bonds.jpg