Investing Portfolio Management International Investing How to Analyze Fund Flow Data Using Fund Flows to Gain an Edge By Justin Kuepper Justin Kuepper Justin Kuepper is a financial analyst, journalist, and private investor with over 15 years of experience in the domestic and international markets. learn about our editorial policies Updated on January 29, 2022 Reviewed by JeFreda R. Brown Reviewed by JeFreda R. Brown JeFreda R. Brown is a financial consultant, Certified Financial Education Instructor, and researcher who has assisted thousands of clients over a more than two-decade career. She is the CEO of Xaris Financial Enterprises and a course facilitator for Cornell University. learn about our financial review board Fact checked by Ariana Chávez Fact checked by Ariana Chávez Ariana Chávez has over a decade of professional experience in research, editing, and writing. She has spent time working in academia and digital publishing, specifically with content related to U.S. socioeconomic history and personal finance among other topics. learn about our editorial policies In This Article View All In This Article What Is Fund Flow? Analyzing Fund Flows Putting It Into Context Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Photo: John Lund / Stone / Getty Images Many investors purchase mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain exposure to domestic and international equities. Both mutual funds and ETFs use pooled investor money to invest in securities that match their objectives. On a monthly or quarterly basis, these funds must report the amount of money flowing into or out of their accounts. These fund flow reports can provide valuable information if you know how to read them. Learn what fund flows are and how you can utilize them to gain an edge when investing, both domestically and internationally. Key Takeaways "Fund flow" refers to how capital flows into and out of different investment types and instruments.Flows tell you where other investors are placing their money; they can even tell you how they balance their portfolios.Fund flow analysis should be used as a top-down perspective on investing, especially for international investors. What Is Fund Flow? Fund flows show cash inflows and outflows across various financial assets on a monthly or quarterly basis. Net inflows create excess cash for fund managers to invest. This tends to generate demand for the underlying stocks and bonds in their sector of choice. On the other hand, net outflows reduce excess cash for fund managers, resulting in lower demand for stocks and bonds. As a result, you can use fund flow to find out where capital is being invested in terms of asset class or geography. The overall growth in net fund flows can also provide insight into whether investors are putting money into the market or taking it out. That can help you paint a macroeconomic picture of what's happening. You can find fund flow data within individual fund filings, or you can look at financial data aggregators, like Morningstar, that provide both data and commentary. Each year, Morningstar issues an Annual Global Fund Flows Report. It outlines where global funds are being allocated. This report is highly anticipated by international investors. Analyzing Fund Flows Fund flows can provide you with a lot of information about how capital is being committed worldwide. In particular, Morningstar's annual commentary can offer unique insights to help support a global investment thesis. At the same time, you can look toward more real-time data to drive your intraday areas of focus. Fixed income: Fund flows into fixed income securities suggest a lack of confidence in equities and a flight to safety in most cases. For instance, net fund inflows into U.S. fixed income securities were seen throughout the last global economic crisis. Asset classes: Fund flows into certain asset classes may carry different connotations. For instance, net fund outflows from global equities into U.S. large-cap value stocks could suggest that U.S. equities are relatively undervalued. Portfolio mix: Fund flows into certain asset classes may also provide insight into portfolio mix. Finding funds: Fund flow data shows which funds are most popular among investors, and it can show which ones are falling out of favor. Putting It Into Context Fund flows can be used to find past investment trends, but looking toward the future is the key to profit. Keep in mind that money managers tend to be behind the curve. That means they tend to underperform the broad market indices, so you should pay close attention to the patterns that emerge from fund flow data rather than the readings themselves. For instance, suppose that U.S. fixed income has experienced a significant jump in net fund inflows over the past few months. But now, these net fund inflows have begun slowing and are showing signs of being top-heavy. If you're looking at this data, you may want to consider selling your U.S. fixed-income assets ahead of the mass fund-selling that looks to be on the horizon. In general, as a global investor, you should use fund flow data to paint a top-level picture of what's happening on a global scale and build a more specific investment thesis. The data is beneficial for international macroeconomic investors, but even if that's not you, you're sure to find some insights using fund flow data that you can use in your trading and investing. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Why is a fund flow statement prepared? When investors buy shares in a fund, they trust the fund manager to invest wisely according to the fund's goals. Fund flow statements are a way of checking in on what your manager is doing to ensure that they are adequately meeting your goals. Broader fund flow statements that encompass the entire market can give analysts a sense of where money is going in the aggregate. What is the difference between a fund flow statement and a cash flow statement? A fund flow statement is similar to a cash flow statement, but cash flow statements are typically more detailed. For a potential investor analyzing a company, the cash flow statement will detail where cash comes from and how it's used. Cash flow statements are typically broken into three parts to help investors separate operating activities from investing and financing activities. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Securities and Exchange Commission. "Beginners' Guide To Financial Statements."