ETFs break annual inflows record...with two months to spare

European exchange traded funds (ETFs) have enjoyed a record year for net inflows, taking in $56.2bn by the end of October, according to consultancy ETFGI.

The firm said the year to date figure "surpasses any full year net new assets [figure] for the European-listed ETF/ETP industry." Perhaps unsurprisingly, iShares, the region's largest ETF provider, attracted the most money in the first ten months of the year. Inflows of $18.4bn mean its total AUM now stands at $213bn. iShares is followed by Vanguard, which has seen 2014 inflows of $8.4bn as of the end of October, and Lyxor Asset Management with $6.2bn in net flows. Despite the difficult economic environment, October saw a continuation of strong flows into these firms' products, wit...