Canada (FR)
Trading activity remained light in February, with participants making relatively modest moves and favoring fixed income on most trading days, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™. When investors did trade, they continued to diversify, directing inflows to international and emerging market funds, while trimming exposure to large U.S. equity funds and company stock. Overall equity exposure and contribution patterns changed little, suggesting participants remained comfortable with their long‑term allocations while making minor adjustments.
February observations:
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The Alight Solutions 401(k) Index statistics for the month of February: |
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Inflows and outflows during the month of February:
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Asset classes with most trading inflows in February | Percentage of inflows | Index dollar value ($mil) |
| International equity funds | 36% | $170 |
| Emerging markets | 24% | $115 |
| Bond funds | 20% | $96 |
Asset classes with most trading outflows in February | Percentage of outflows | Index dollar value ($mil) |
| Large U.S. equity funds | 62% | $296 |
| Company stock funds | 34% | $164 |
February investment portfolios:
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Asset classes with largest percentage of total balance at the end of February | Percentage of balance | Index dollar value ($mil) |
Target date funds2 | 31% | $94,333 |
Large U.S. equity funds | 29% | $89,345 |
Company stock funds | 8% | $23,142 |
Asset classes with most contributions in February | Percentage of contributions | Index dollar value($mil) |
Target date funds2 | 45% | $878 |
Large U.S. equity funds | 26% | $512 |
International equity funds | 6% | $126 |
Returns for common indices | February | 2026 YTD |
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | 1.64% | 1.75% |
S&P 500 Index | -0.76% | 0.68% |
Russell 2000 Index | 0.80% | 6.20% |
MSCI All Country World ex-U.S. Index (net) | 5.02% | 11.30% |
1 A “normal” level of relative transfer activity is when the net daily movement of participants’ balances, as a percent of total 401(k) balances within the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™, equals between 0.3 times and 1.5 times the average daily net activity of the preceding 12 months. A “high” relative transfer activity day is when the net daily movement exceeds two times the average daily net activity. A “moderate” relative transfer activity day is when the net daily movement is between 1.5 and 2 times the average daily net activity of the preceding 12 months.
2 Target date funds also include the amounts in target risk funds. The amount in the target risk funds is less than 10% of the total.
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