Record fund assets and surging ETF sales signal sustained investor confidence heading into fall, new SIMA stats reveal
Canada's investment fund industry reached new heights in August 2026, with both mutual fund and ETF assets hitting all-time highs as investors continued to direct capital into the market at a pace that has outstripped the prior year by a wide margin.
According to data released September 18, 2026, by the Securities and Investment Management Association (SIMA), mutual fund assets totalled $2.797 trillion at the end of August, up $26.4 billion (1 per cent) from July. ETF assets climbed to $924.2 billion, a jump of $27.6 billion (3.1 per cent) over the same period and have now grown for five consecutive months.
The numbers point to a market where confidence has returned and investors are putting money to work across a range of asset classes.
ETF sales more than double year-over-year
ETF net sales reached $15.5 billion in August, more than doubling the $7.7 billion recorded in August 2025, although down from July’s $18.3 billion.
Equity ETFs drove the bulk of that activity with $10.1 billion (down from 12.7 billion in July), while bond ETFs added $3.9 billion, up from $1.9 billion a year earlier and up from $2.6 billion in July. Balanced ETFs contributed $1.0 billion to the total, while money market funds posted net redemptions of $60 million, following $490 million in net sales in the previous month.
Year to date through August 2026, total ETF net sales reached $137.8 billion, compared to $73.7 billion over the same period in 2025 - an increase of approximately 87 per cent.
The strong sales momentum in ETFs reflects a continuing structural shift in how Canadian investors are accessing the market, a trend that wealth management professionals have tracked closely since inflows accelerated through 2025.
Mutual funds post 16th straight month of positive net sales
Mutual fund net sales totalled $4.7 billion in August, marking the 16th consecutive month of positive net sales for the industry, down from $6.4 billion in July, but up from August 2025’s total of $3.2 billion.
All four long-term asset classes recorded inflows, with bond funds leading the way at $1.9 billion, way behind July’s $4.7 billion. Balanced funds contributed $1.1 billion (down from $2 billion in July), specialty funds added $1.2 billion, and equity funds posted $573 million in a notable reversal from July's $1.2 billion in net redemptions.
Money market mutual funds saw modest net redemptions of $9 million in August.
Year to date, long-term mutual fund net sales reached $41.1 billion through August 2026, compared to $19.9 billion over the same period in 2025 - more than double the prior year's pace, according to SIMA data.
Recent SIMA data has consistently shown mutual fund assets rising to new records, underpinned by investor demand for fixed income and balanced strategies as interest rate expectations have shifted.
Context for advisors
The August figures come against a backdrop of sustained inflows across both fund categories that has built since early 2026.
Since the start of the year, total mutual fund net sales have outpaced the first eight months of 2025 by more than 53 per cent, while ETF net sales are running at nearly double the prior year's pace on a year-to-date basis.
For advisors reviewing client asset allocation, the strength in bond fund flows both in mutual funds and ETFs - suggests clients are continuing to seek income exposure even as equity markets have stabilised.
Equity ETF year-to-date net sales of $92.0 billion, compared with $38.1 billion a year earlier, also indicate a meaningful increase in clients tilting toward equity market participation through low-cost vehicles.
The growth trajectory for Canadian ETFs has been one of the dominant storylines in domestic fund distribution throughout 2026, with sales records being set or approached in multiple months.
SIMA, the leading voice for Canada's securities and investment management industry, represents members that oversee approximately $4 trillion in assets for more than 20 million investors. The August data is based on SIMA's direct survey, which covers approximately 87 per cent of total mutual fund industry assets and approximately 80 per cent of total ETF industry assets, with estimated data used to complete industry totals.
