QUARTERLY INVESTMENT FUND STATISTICS
FUNDS OF FUNDS, TRACKER AND ETHICAL DATA - Q4 2007

• Total investment funds under management  £468 billion
• Funds under management in funds of funds  £34.3 billion
• Net retail sales of funds of funds  £343.2 million
• Tracker funds under management  £27.1 billion
• Net retail sales of tracker funds  -£59.6 million
• Ethical funds under management  £5.9 billion
• Net retail sales of ethical funds  £99.7 million

Funds of Funds - funds under management
Funds under management at the end of Q4 2007 reached £34.3 billion, up from £33.3 billion at the end of the previous quarter and an increase of 18% from the same quarter in 2006. Balanced funds accounted for the majority of funds under management, representing 69% of assets, followed by 18% in equities.

Funds of funds - net sales
Total net sales of £834.1 million in Q4 2007 included £343.2 million net retail sales, slightly up on the £330.1 million net retail sales of Q3 2007 and 44% lower than Q4 2006.

Total net inflows were split almost evenly between internally invested and externally invested funds. The most popular sector in Q4 2007 was Cautious Managed, accounting for inflows of £465.7 million.  The most popular sector for the year overall was Cautious Managed, accounting for £1.6 billion of total net sales.

For the whole of 2007 total net retail sales for fund of funds were £1.6 billion, down from the £3 billion in 2006.

Tracker funds
Funds under management in Q4 2007 were £27.1 billion, the same as Q3 2007, but 6% up from the £25.6 billion in Q4 2006. Retail sales saw a net outflow of £59.6 million in Q4 2007, compared with an outflow of £30 million in Q3 2007. The same quarter the previous year saw a net outflow of £59.9 million. The most popular distribution channel for gross retail tracker sales was intermediary accounting for 61% of sales.

Net retail sales for tracker funds for the whole of 2007 saw outflows of £110 million, compared to outflows of £239 million in 2006.

Ethical funds
Ethical funds under management in Q4 2007 saw a slight increase from the previous quarter reaching £5.9 billion, an increase of 18% on the same quarter in 2006.  Retail sales saw a net inflow in Q4 2007 of £99.7 million, lower than the inflow of £135.5 million seen in the previous quarter. The same quarter the previous year saw an inflow of £52.6 million.

Total net retail sales for ethical funds for the whole of 2007 reached a record high of £473 million, an increase from the £136 million seen in 2006.

Richard Saunders, Chief Executive of the IMA commented:

"The published performance figures continue to show the benefits of investing for the long term, with the average investment in a UK All Companies fund returning 80% over the last ten years, despite the downturn in the markets at the turn of the century, and despite recent volatility.

2007 saw net inflows of nearly £3½ billion into funds of funds including net retail sales of £1.6 billion.  Although retail sales were down on the previous two years they continue to remain popular with retail investors."

-Ends-

Glossary

Detailed tables
1. Summary table
2. Quarterly gross retail sales by distribution channel
3. Quarterly net retail sales and net ISA/PEP sales vs FTSE 100
4. Quarterly net retail sales by asset type
5. Quarterly total net sales by client type
6. Comparative performance of £1,000 lump sum over 5, 10 and 15 years
7. Comparative performance of £50 per month savings plan over 5, 10 and 15 years
8. Summary of funds of funds unit trust/OEIC funds under management
9. Summary of funds of funds unit trust/OEIC sales
10. Funds of funds assets and sales by sector
11. Summary of tracker and ethical funds under management and sales
12. Performance of lump sum and savings plans by sector
 

For further information, please contact:
Noreen Shah, Press Officer, IMA, 020 7831 0898
Mona Patel, Head of Communications, IMA, 07834 089332