Investors poured a net $105.37bn into ETFs and ETPs in April 2021, according to ETFGI, a research and consulting firm. The cumulative total for the first four months of the year was $465.41bn, far outpacing the previous record of $184.04bn in 2020.

In April, a net $62.81bn flowed into equity ETFs, a net $31.99bn flowed into fixed income products, and a net $13.95bn flowed into active ETFs and ETPs. Commodity products recorded net outflows of $7.41bn in April 2021, ETFGI reported.

Exchange-traded funds are mutual fund-like products that automatically track an index or type of financial asset, and can be bought or sold in real time on the stock market.

ETFGI said a record $8.95trn was invested in ETFs and ETPs worldwide, as of 30 April 2021 (up from $8.56trn at the end of March 2021).