GRAPHIC-US equity funds see outflows on rate-cut uncertainty, AI worries

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 02/13/26 05:34 AM EST

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. equity funds recorded outflows in the week to February 11 on worries over AI-related corporate spending ?and as a stronger jobs ?report dampened expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Investors exited ?a net $1.42 billion worth of U.S. equity funds ?during the week in their ?first weekly ?net sales since January 21, LSEG Lipper data showed.

The ?Nasdaq Composite Index fell ?2.03% on Thursday amid renewed concerns over potential disruption from artificial intelligence across ?sectors, including software, ?legal ?services and wealth management.

Investors, meanwhile, awaited January inflation data due on Friday for fresh cues ?on the outlook for interest rates.

U.S. ?large- and mid-cap equity funds recorded outflows of $12.34 billion and $787 million, respectively, during the week, while small-cap funds bucked the ?trend ?with net inflows of $2.01 billion.

Investors pumped $13.37 ?billion into U.S. bond funds as ?they extended the recent run of net purchases into a sixth consecutive week.

Short-to-intermediate investment-grade funds, short-to-intermediate government and treasury funds and general domestic taxable fixed income funds stood out with $4.29 billion, $3.09 billion and $2.7 billion, ?respectively, in net inflows.

Investors, meanwhile, withdrew $25.83 billion from U.S. money market funds after two successive ?weeks of net inflows.

(Reporting ?by Gaurav Dogra; Editing by ?Anil D'Silva)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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