Investor Economics Insight January 2022

Investment fund assets expanded by over 19.3% in 2021 in Canada, representing a historic and unusual level of growth for a generally mature marketplace. Net inflows more than doubled previous annual records, but strong market effect also played an important role.

As companies gained scale at a quick pace during the year, the ongoing transformation of the funds business continued unabated. Product shelves have been expanding at a record pace in terms of fund counts, and the originality of some of the new offerings is noteworthy. Regulatory frameworks and standards for environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration are evolving rapidly while taking on a global flavour.

The January 2022 issue of Insight explores these and other key trends, and will try to elucidate how transitory, permanent, and future developments are combining in shaping the asset management business now and into the future.