NEW YORK (Reuters) – Foreign net flows to emerging market equity and debt portfolios accelerated in June to nearly three times the May figure despite a hawkish tilt from the U.S. Federal Reserve mid-month, data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF) showed Thursday.
The net estimated $28.1 billion inflows in June compared with $10.9 billion inflows in May, the data showed.
Debt flows accounted for $18.9 billion of total flows to emerging markets last month, $6.4 billion of which were directed to China. China also took in $5.2 billion of the net total $9.2 billion of foreign flows to emerging-market equities.
“While the hawkish shift of the Fed in recent weeks affected flows, the overall picture is still positive mainly due to the important contribution of fresh debt issuance across emerging markets and the important contribution of China flows,” IIF economist Jonathan Fortun said in a statement.
Asia and Latin America saw portfolio inflows of $14.4 billion and $10.8 billion, respectively, while emerging Europe, Africa and the Middle East accounted for $3.0 billion, the report showed.
Fed officials projected an accelerated timetable for interest rate increases after their meeting in mid June, moving their first projected rate increases to 2023 from 2024.
(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Christopher Cushing)