Country Flows

Country flows is a derived dataset that delivers flows to individual countries. It uses a proprietary algorithm to calculate these derivations. The procedure assumes fixed average country allocations across different cross-border mandates. It then uses fund-level flow data to calculate flows to individual countries. One advantage of this derivation is the broader coverage. EPFR’s Fund Flows Database has significant coverage across different regions and countries.

In contrast, the Country Allocations Database is a subset of the fund flows dataset. Using fixed average country allocations allows us to include a broader range of cross-border funds in individual country flow calculations. Because of the more general assumptions, the Country Flows Database is typically a better fit for Macroeconomist & and Strategists. A typical use case for a Macroeconomist would be calculating a high-frequency proxy for those countries’ balance of payments statistics. On the other hand, when trying to create country rotation strategies, quantitative hedge funds rely on fund-level data. This lets them have a one-to-one match between the country allocations and fund-level flows.

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