The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC) published its January 2022 sales figures and overall net asset numbers showing mutual fund assets and exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets decreased during the first month of the year.

Mutual fund net sales came in just under $7.2-billion in January 2022, notably higher relative to December 2021 sales figures of just $935-million, but still short of sales recorded in January 2021 when net sales reached almost $11.6-billion. Balanced funds sold the most in January, as net sales in the category reached nearly $3.1-billion. Bond funds sold just $349-million during the month. All told, mutual fund net assets totalled $2.021-trillion at the end of January 2022, a decrease of $55.3-billion or 2.7 per cent when compared to December 2021 when net assets were just under $2.077-trillion.

ETFs, meanwhile, saw net sales of more than $5.1-billion in January 2022, an increase over January 2021 sales of $4-billion but a slight decline month-over-month, relative to December 2021 when net sales were $5.6-billion. Equity ETFs sold the most, with IFIC reporting nearly $4.7-billion in equity ETF net sales during the month. ETF net assets totalled $342.5-billion at the end of January, a decrease of $4.6-billion or 1.3 per cent month-over-month when compared to December 2021 when ETF net assets were $347.1-billion.