Mutual fund assets reached a new high in May, although short-term funds continue to attract the bulk of the sales action.

With the domestic equity market performing well in May, total industry assets under management rose $14.1 billion during the month to finish at a new high of $719.3 billion, according to the latest data from the Investment Funds Institute of Canada.

Long-term fund assets increased by $12.5 billion or 2% from April, it noted. But, while long-term fund assets are up by $35.4 billion over the last three months, they still remain down $13.1 billion from May 2007. Despite this decline on the long-term side, total industry assets under management have grown $7.4 billion due mostly to $18.4 billion in money market fund sales over the last 12 months, IFIC explained.

Short-term funds dominated the sales in May, at $1.46 billion, up from $511.9 million in April and $540.6 million at this time last year. Canadian money market funds were once again the most popular choice among fund investors in May, IFIC reported, generating sales of $1.18 billion for the month, up from both the $330.5 million in April and the $360.6 million in May 2007.

However, IFIC also observed that net switches in the money market segment were negative in May (-$125 million) for the first time since October 2007, “meaning some investors have started to move back to long-term funds”.

Fund-of-fund sales were $723.7 million in May up from $549.3 million the previous month but down from $1.37 billion at this time last year.

“Industry assets under management have grown by almost $48 billion since the end of January and have reached an all-time high of $719.3 billion this month,” said Pat Dunwoody, IFIC’s vice president, member services and communications. “On the sales side, we continue to see the preference for money market funds however for the first time since October 2007 net switches to money market funds are negative suggesting some investors are moving back into long-term fund categories.”

With the addition of PH&N, RBC Asset Management now leads the industry asset parade, with $111.2 billion in overall assets. It also led the sales charts in May, with $1.2 billion in monthly net sales — just under $1 billion of this was in money market funds. TD Asset Management was a distant second in overall sales at $502.5 million. Dynamic Funds led the long-term net sales, with $435 million worth in May.

On the downside, AIM Trimark had $576 million in monthly net redemptions. Several other firms had just over $100 million in net redemptions, including IGM Financial, AGF, and AIC.