ETFs, ETPs Pass $5 Trillion With Record January Net New Assets.

Byline: Michael S. Fischer

Assets invested in exchange-traded funds and products list globally burst through the $5 trillion milestone in January, ending the month at $5.2 trillion, ETFGI reported Friday.

This represented a record 6.5% month-on-month increase, or $313 billion, to pass the previous record of $4.8 trillion set in December.

ETFGI said the new record was achieved on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the listing of the first ETF in the U.S., the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), on Jan. 22, 1993. At the end of January, SPY accounted for assets of $307 billion.

January also marked the 48th consecutive month of net inflows into funds and products listed globally, with $106 billion gathered during the month, 68.6% more than net inflows at this point last year.

ETFGI said the bulk of these flows went to the top 10 ETFs by net new assets, which collectively gathered $62.6 billion. Here are the top 10, with January total assets and net new assets:

* SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) - $307 billion / $19.8 billion

* iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) - $155 billion / $7.2 billion

* iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) - $50 billion / $6.5 billion

* iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG) - $50 billion/ $3.2 billion

* iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) - $22 billion / $2.4 billion

* Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) - $91 billion / $2.4 billion

* TOPIX Exchange Traded Fund (1306) - $65 billion / $1.9 billion

* iShares JP Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMB) - $14 billion / $1.9 billion

* Industrial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLI) - $25 billion / $1.8 billion

* SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA) - $25 billion / $1.5 billion

Similarly, the top 10 ETPs by net new assets collectively gathered $3.6 billion in January. The top five, with total assets and inflows:

* ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures (SVXY) - $1.6 billion / $920 million

* iShares Gold Trust (IAU) - $11 billion / $767 million

* VelocityShares Daily Inverse VIX Short Term ETN (XIV) - $$1.9 billion / $744 million

* VelocityShares Daily 3x Inverse Natural Gas ETN (DGAZ) - $530 million / $394 million

* SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) - $36 billion / $179 million

ETFGI reported that equity ETFs/ETPs listed globally gathered net inflows of $87.7 billion in January, and increase of 7.5% from December, while fixed income ETFs/ETPs saw net inflows of $11.6 billion, up 1.7% from the previous month.

It said investors in January tended to invest in core, market cap and lower cost ETFs.

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