Investor Economics Insight—April 2022

Yet Another Sales Season to Remember

The first quarter of a year is a critical period for asset managers operating in Canada, for many of them, it represents the main opportunity to attract new inflows of money into their funds. The three-month period ending March 2022 was relatively strong, at least in aggregate. The RRSP season started on a high note, but inflow volumes declined quickly over the quarter as inflationary concerns, rising interest rates, global geopolitical tensions and weaning pandemic restrictions combined into an unhealthy cocktail. Sales trends, however, varied across fund sponsors, asset classes, product types and investment styles.

The current issue of Insight reflects on the sales results for investment funds over the recent RRSP season. Sales trends for mutual funds and ETFs are examined through multiple lenses. The Trendlines article takes a historical perspective on segregated fund sales over the more than two decades of highs and lows the product structure has experienced throughout its lifecycle.