India not abandoned; last week, Chinese equity funds saw outflows rather than inflows: Cameron Brandt
Cameron Brandt, Director of Research, EPFR Global, says China's equity market, in some senses, has been the only game in town for domestic investors. There has been eye-catching inflows since the second quarter of this year, which peaked at a record weekly total of $40 billion two weeks back. But last week, they had significant outflows, the biggest single weekly outflow of $4 billion since 2015. So, even in China, this spirit of “what have you done for me lately” seems to be the determinant for flows.
I just want to touch upon what is going on in the US because it has been a fairly robust few days of trade. Do you think that investors are still mindful about stretch valuations, the US presidential elections, and the fact that there are geopolitical risks?
Cameron Brandt: I do not think they have forgotten, but there is so much good stuff in the proverbial punch bowl at the moment that it is hard to resist. There are some fairly rosy assumptions about the trajectory of interest rates over here. Oil prices have come down, which makes driving cheaper for people here, always good for the mood. And neither of the presidential candidates are saying anything about fiscal discipline. So, there is an assumption that this sort of expansionary fiscal policy will continue into next year.
Most important of all, there is definitely a feeling that after several quarters of consolidation, corporate earnings are on another growth phase and the early indications certainly have not punctured that hope. The US market is enjoying a
