Mutual fund net sales topped $500 million in March, although all of that came in money market funds, long-term funds were back in net redemption territory.

Overall mutual fund net sales were just shy of $520 million for March, down from $2.5 billion for the same month last year, according to the latest data from the Investment Funds Institute of Canada. However, all of this year’s net sales came in short-term funds, long-term funds recorded $412 million in net redemptions for the month, after enjoying $259 million in positive net sales the prior month.

First quarter net sales totaled just under $3.4 billion, down from $9 billion in net sales for the same period a year ago. Long-term funds were in net redemptions for the first quarter, however the $348 million in redemptions was an improvement from $1.3 billion in redemptions for the first quarter last year. Money market net sales were down from $10.3 billion a year ago to $3.7 billion in the first quarter this year.

One bright note is asset growth, which was strong in March thanks to market gains. IFIC reports that net sales and market returns combined to generate a $20.5 billion, or 4.3%, month-over-month increase in assets under management.

“Just about every asset class saw positive returns in March which resulted in a $20 billion increase in the mutual fund holdings of investors overall,” said Pat Dunwoody, IFIC’s vice president, Member Services and Communications.

Total industry assets under management were $497.4 billion at the end of March, up from $476.9 billion in February. Long-term mutual fund assets increased from $403 billion at the end of February to $422.5 billion at the end of March, but they remain down from the start of the year ($436.3 billion).

Looking at asset class sales trends, investors remain risk averse. IFIC reports that, among long-term funds, bond funds led the way in sales in March attracting $568.8 million, pushing first quarter sales to $1.76 billion. The other three long-term fund asset classes were in net redemption territory in March.

Equity funds had net redemptions of $685.6 million, more or less flat from net redemptions of $683.2 million in February. For the first quarter, equity fund net redemptions totaled $1.75 billion, down from $3.13 billion in the same period last year. Balanced fund net redemptions were $131.9 million in March, down from net sales of $131.3 million in February.

“Investors were still waiting on the sidelines for the most part but their existing long-term investments were gaining ground last month which was very positive,” Dunwoody added.

IFIC also noted that fund-of-fund sales over the first quarter totaled $738.2 million compared with $2.11 billion over the first three months of 2008.

RBC continues to dominate the sales charts, thanks entirely to its popular money market funds. In March, it had $979 million in money market net sales, but $16 million in redemptions from its long-term funds. Fidelity Investments Canada led the long-term sales with $119 million worth.

IE