Mutual funds, 2009

The growth in the value of the mutual fund shares was due to high net purchases of mutual fund shares as well as a strong increase in the value of the funds’ portfolios. The net purchases of shares in all types of funds in 2009 reached NOK 61 billion. The rest of the increases in value of the mutual funds were caused by rising prices of the underlying securities and fluctuations in the currency markets. The total value of the Norwegian registered mutual funds stood at NOK 449 billion at the end of 2009, almost reaching the record level set in 2007.

High net purchases in equity funds

Most of the investments were made in equity funds. Of the total net purchases of mutual fund shares in 2009, NOK 46 billion was invested in equity funds.

More than half of the total holdings of mutual fund shares in 2009 were held in equity funds. This is also reflected in what type of securities the funds own. NOK 212.8 billion of the mutual funds’ holdings were held in stocks, of which NOK 143 billion were held in foreign stocks. Mutual funds also owned NOK 56.8 billion in shares issued by other Norwegian and foreign mutual funds.

Financial corporations and households still largest owners

Financial corporations was the largest owner sector in mutual funds, with a 44.5 per cent share. Households’ owner share was 27.4 per cent, whereas foreign investors’ share was 13.6 per cent. Of the financial corporations, life insurance companies owned a whole NOK 126 billion in mutual fund shares.

High profit

Capital gains and dividends received were lower in 2009 compared to the previous year. At the same time, realised and unrealised profit as a whole increased substantially. The total profit was very high in 2009, and ended at NOK 78.7 billion. The result in 2009 for mutual funds is the best result ever recorded.

Tables

Published tables