Global ETF and ETP assets reached a new record high of $2.45 trillion at the end of Q1 2014, according to ETFGI, a London-based consultancy.

Global ETF and ETP assets reach new record high of $2.45 trillion at the end of Q1 2014.

Flows into ETFs and ETPs rebounded in March gathering net inflows of $11.0 billion which, when combined with a small positive market performance in the month, helped lifts assets closer towards the psychological $2.5 trillion mark.

According to ETFGI, there are now 5,204 ETFs/ETPs, with 10,219 listings, from 222 providers on 59 exchanges globally.

Deborah Fuhr, Managing Partner at ETFGI, said: “March was the first month in 2014 when equity exposures gathered more net new assets than fixed income. Equity markets were choppy in March – the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high on March 7th but ended the month up less than 1%. Gains came at the end of the month after comments from Fed provided assurance that short-term rates would not increase earlier than expected. Outside the US, developed markets declined slightly while emerging markets gained 3%.”

In March 2014, ETFs/ETPs saw net inflows of $11.0 billion. Equity ETFs/ETPs gathered the largest net inflows with $9.9bn, followed by commodity ETFs/ETPs with $876m, while fixed income ETFs/ETPs experienced net outflows with $1.4bn.

In Q1 2014, ETFs/ETPs gathered net inflows of $33.0bn which is significantly below the $73.1bn at this time last year. Fixed income ETFs/ETPs gathered $17.8bn – the largest net inflows YTD – followed by equity ETFs/ETPs with $8.4bn, while commodity ETFs/ETPs experienced the largest net outflows YTD with $207m.

In terms of providers, Vanguard gathered the largest net ETF/ETP inflows in March with $5.3bn, followed by iShares with $1.6bn and First Trust with $1.2bn net inflows. Vanguard has also gathered the largest net ETF/ETP inflows YTD with $14.7bn, followed by iShares with $8.6bn and Nomura AM with $4.9bn net inflows.