Exchange traded funds that track U.S. Treasuries have attracted inflows for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest period in almost five years, as global volatility and economic uncertainty fueled safe-haven demand.
According to Lipper data, U.S. Treasury funds attracted $1.6 billion in net inflows for the week ended February 17, bringing the net inflows this year to $12.4 billion, reports Min Zeng for the Wall Street Journal.
To put this in perspective, funds that track U.S. Treasuries brought in $16.1 billion for the whole of 2015.
Demand for U.S. Treasuries continues unabated. Over the past week, four Treasuries-related ETFs were among the top ten investment picks. The iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEArca: TLT) attracted $444.9 million in net inflows, iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEArca: IEI) saw $326.9 million in inflows, iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF (NYSEArca: IEF) experienced $275.3 million in inflows and iShares TIPS Bond ETF (NYSEArca: TIP) added $256.5 million in new assets, according to ETF.com.
TIP, which tracks a group of U.S.Treasury inflation-protected securities, saw increased interest as inflationary pressures tick higher. The Labor Department revealed that its Consumer Price Index, excluding volatile food and energy prices, rose 0.3% last month, the largest monthly gain since August 2011, as rising rents and healthcare costs lifted underlying U.S. inflation, reports Lucia Mutikani for Reuters.