ETF assets hit sixth straight record as mutual fund streak ends
The turnaround in mutual fund flows was concentrated in money market funds, which posted net redemptions of $289 million. Long-term fund flows were essentially flat, with modest outflows from equity and bond categories offsetting continued inflows into specialty funds.
On the ETF side, September extended a pattern that has dominated the year. With equity ETF year-to-date inflows surpassing $100 billion for the first time through the first nine months of 2026, the category is on pace to substantially surpass any previous annual record.
Year-to-date ETF net sales reached $155.5 billion through September, compared with $86.1 billion over the same period in 2025 — an increase of approximately 81 per cent. Financial advisors tracking Canadian fund flows can follow the shifting landscape in Wealth Professional’s ETF coverage which has documented month-by-month records throughout 2026.
Mutual fund net sales also remained well ahead of last year on a cumulative basis, despite September’s dip. Year-to-date inflows of $38.6 billion through September compare with $29.6 billion over the same period in 2025, a gain of approximately 31 per cent. Long-term mutual fund net sales year-to-date stood at $41.0 billion, versus $24.2 billion through September 2025.
The divergence between the two categories in September reflects a dynamic that has taken hold over the past year: ETFs continuing to capture the majority of new asset-gathering momentum while mutual funds, even in months of modest net outflows, maintain a substantially larger total asset base.
