Fund Flows: Bonds and Passives Real Winners in 2024

Europe-domiciled long-term funds had EUR 459.6 billion of net inflows in 2024 while passive strategies hit a new record high.

Valerio Baselli 23 January, 2025 | 8:28AM
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Flujos Europa

2024 was another impressive year for risk assets, after a very positive 2023. In a year marked by continuing geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East, the return of dovish monetary policy in major developed markets, and Donald Trump’s election, investors continued to show positive sentiment and poured EUR 459.6 billion into long-term Europe-domiciled funds.

Passive Funds Attract Record Inflows

With EUR 35 billion of net new subscriptions, December 2024 was the third-best month on record for Europe-domiciled passive long-term funds. Overall, last year, passive funds took in EUR 307.5 billion, hitting a new record.

Global equities declined in December but were able to close 2024 up by 17.5% (in US dollars), marking the second consecutive year of double-digit returns. The market was largely driven by tech-heavy US mega-cap names. Equity funds attracted EUR 30.2 billion in December and EUR 182.1 billion in 2024. The last quarter was particularly positive with EUR 89.3 billion pouring into this class, the best result since the second quarter of 2021.

Bond strategies thrived as major central banks mostly continued to ease policy rates in December while retaining a hawkish tone. The US Federal Reserve reduced its target rate to 4.25%–4.50% and suggested two further rate cuts in 2025 . In Europe, the Bank of England left its base rate unchanged at 4.75% in a split decision. Conversely, the European Central Bank appeared less concerned with inflation risk, lowering the deposit rate to 3.0%, while the Swiss National Bank reduced its main interest rate with a larger-than-expected cut, to 0.50%. In this context, fixed-income strategies had EUR 23 billion of net inflows in December and EUR 336.4 billion in 2024, the second-best yearly result ever.

Allocation Funds Are Attracting Money Again

Multi-asset strategies closed the fourth quarter in positive territory, after 17 months of net redemptions, taking in EUR 4 billion in the fourth quarter. This was entirely because of the Allianz Income and Growth Fund, which sits in the USD moderate-allocation Morningstar Category and achieved EUR 5.6 billion of net inflows last quarter.

Finally, money market funds attracted EUR 235.8 billion in 2024, the second-best year on record.

Index Funds Continue Gaining Market Share

Long-term index funds raked in flows of EUR 307.6 billion in 2024, compared to just EUR 150.5 billion posted by actively managed funds. Allocation funds suffered redemptions from both sides; at the same time, bond funds were able to attract inflows to both active and passive products. Last year, long-term passive funds showed a positive organic growth rate, or OGR, at 10.2%, while long-term active products had a 1.8% OGR in the same period.

The market share of long-term index funds rose to 29.6% as of December 2024 from 26.8% in December 2023. When including money market funds, which are the domain of active managers, the market share of index funds stood at 25.6%, up from 23.2% twelve months earlier.

Purest ESG Funds Keep Experiencing Outflows

Funds falling within the scope of Article 8 of the SFDR had net inflows of EUR 23.7 billion in December, the eighth consecutive positive month in terms of flows and the best monthly result since December 2022, which brings the yearly result to EUR 148 billion. At the same time, funds falling under Article 9 (“dark green” strategies) shed EUR 4 billion, marking their 15th consecutive month of net outflows.

From an organic growth perspective, Article 8 funds showed a 2.8% OGR in 2024. On the other hand, products in the Article 9 group saw a negative 6.8% OGR over the same period.

Which Asset Managers Attracted the Most Money?

Below are the 10 fund houses that raised the most and the least in Europe in 2024, with detail between passive and active management (money market funds excluded).

Data Notes The figures in this report were compiled on Jan. 20, 2025, and reflect only the funds that had reported net assets by that date. Approximately 31,300 Europe-domiciled open-end funds and exchange-traded funds that Morningstar tracks from more than 2,900 fund companies across 36 domiciles were included. Organic growth rate is flows as a percentage of beginning assets.

Click Here to Download the Full Report on Europe Asset Flows


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Valerio Baselli

Valerio Baselli  is Senior International Editor at Morningstar.

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