The emergence of a new Covid strain has led investors to limit their holdings in equity funds in favour of bonds fearing new lockdown measures.
Investor sentiment towards the US and European equity markets was particularly strong, as people feared that the new strain could have a big impact.
According to data from Calastone, both regions suffered the biggest net outflows on record in November of £395m and £534m respectively as the reintroduction of travel restrictions and mask mandates painted an unstable future for markets.
The domestic market was not immune either, as investors pulled £464m from UK equity funds, the sixth-worst month on record and sixth consecutive month of net selling.
In total, UK investors sold a net £83m worth of equity fund holdings between 26th and 29th November after further Covid announcements.
However overall, investors put £528m of new money was put into equity funds across November, however this was two-thirds lower than the 12-month average.
Meanwhile, environmental, social and governance (ESG) funds experienced record inflows of £1.5bn. Equity funds without ESG mandates suffered outflows of £1bn for the second month in a row.
This has been a growing part of the market in recent years, accounting for 53% of net inflows in 2020.
Edward Glyn, head of global markets at Calastone, said: “ESG continues to capture investor imagination. It’s clearly cannibalising other types of funds now in the race for new capital. When investors have cash to add, they add it to ESG, and any impulse to sell is felt by other categories.”
Away from stocks, the money market received £108m of new money, only the second month in the past 12 months of inflows. This number peaked in the days following Omicron’s discovery, suggesting investors are retreating to the safe haven of cash as the equity market appear increasingly unstable.
However, rising bond yields, which mean prices fall, meant investors also reduced the amount they added to bond funds, with £268m of new money added to the sector.
Glyn said: “The Omicron story has not yet been written, so it could all end up being a fuss about nothing, or it could lead us all back into lockdown. Until that is clear, volatility will continue to be a key theme.”