(Reuters) – Global equity funds lured inflows for a third straight week in the week to Aug. 11, as strong corporate earnings and positive economic data from the United States boosted sentiment.

According to Lipper data, global equity funds attracted inflows of $10.12 billion, a 12% increase over the previous week.

(GRAPHIC: Fund flows into global equities bonds and money markets – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/zjpqkqxlxpx/Fund%20flows%20into%20global%20equities%20bonds%20and%20money%20markets.jpg)

European equity funds had the major share of the inflows, receiving $5.6 billion, while U.S. equity funds obtained $2.7 billion.

About 69% of global firms have beaten analysts’ profit estimates in the second quarter, posting an average growth of 143%, with cyclical sectors such as industrials, energy and consumer discretionary firms leading the earnings recovery, according to Refinitiv data.

OCBC said the strong U.S. economic data – with consumer price increases slowing and weekly jobless claims dropping – improved sentiment, raising inflows into equity funds in the week.

Among equity funds, financial sector funds attracted $1.05 billion, while the tech sector had inflows of just $359 million.

(GRAPHIC: Global fund flows into equity sectors – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/xmpjogzdgvr/Global%20fund%20flows%20into%20equity%20sectors.jpg)

“Financials reported the largest inflows last week indicating a positive outlook by the market on continued and sustained economic growth,” the OCBC report said.

Global bond funds received a net $12.3 billion, which was a 14% drop from the prior week, marking improving risk sentiment among investors.

Global money market funds saw a 66% drop in their weekly inflows to $12.6 billion.

(GRAPHIC: Global bond funds’ flows in the week ended Aug 11 – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/gkplgmrywvb/Global%20bond%20funds’%20flows%20in%20the%20week%20ended%20Aug%2011.jpg)

Among commodity funds, precious metal funds faced outflows of $280 million as gold prices slumped to a more than a four-month low this week.

An analysis of 23,770 emerging market funds showed investors bought a net $736 million in equity funds, but sold $447 million in bond funds.

(GRAPHIC: Fund flows into EM equities and bonds – https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/mypmnmdlnvr/Fund%20flows%20into%20EM%20equities%20and%20bonds.jpg)

(Reporting by Gaurav Dogra and Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

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