U.S. bond funds see first weekly outflow in six weeks on rate hike concerns

(Reuters) - U.S. bond funds witnessed their first weekly net selling in six weeks in the seven days to Feb. 15 as bond yields climbed on concerns over more Federal Reserve tightening after data showed resilient inflation.

A report from the Labor Department on Thursday showed monthly producer prices accelerated in January, while the producer price index for final demand rebounded 0.7% last month after decreasing 0.2% in December.

On Tuesday, consumer price index data showed inflation accelerated in January and was more than expected on an annualized basis. Refinitiv Lipper data showed investors withdrew a net $958 million out of U.S. bond funds, marking the first weekly net selling since Jan. 4. U.S. taxable bond funds suffered $855 million worth of outflows compared with $1.89 billion worth of net buying in the previous week. Investors also sold $311 million worth of municipal bond funds.

GRAPHIC: Fund flows: US equities, bonds and money market funds (https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/zgpobkqwnvd/Fund%20flows%20US%20equities%20bonds%20and%20money%20market%20funds.jpg)

U.S. high yield, general domestic taxable fixed income, and emerging markets debt funds witnessed outflows worth $3.04 billion, $1.2 billion, and $1.1 billion, respectively; short/intermediate investment-grade funds received $2.87 billion in inflows.

GRAPHIC: Fund flows: US bond funds(https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/akveqmdgevr/Fund%20flows%20US%20bond%20funds.jpg)

Meanwhile, U.S. equity funds booked $3.56 billion worth of net selling, the biggest weekly outflow in six weeks. U.S. large and mid-cap equity funds faced $4.01 billion and $915 million worth of withdrawals, but small-cap funds remained in demand for a third-straight week, with a net $725 million in inflows.

Meanwhile, investors secured $6.9 billion worth of money market funds in their first weekly net buying in three weeks.

GRAPHIC: Fund flows: US equity sector funds (https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/byvrlkzoxve/Fund%20flows%20US%20equity%20sector%20funds.jpg)

(Reporting by Gaurav Dogra and Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon Singleton)