Canada (FR)
January saw light trading activity among retirement plan investors, according to the Alight Solutions 401(k) Index™. Daily net transfers averaged 0.011% of balances, and there were zero days of above‑normal¹ trading activity. Investors showed a clear preference for non‑U.S. funds, with international equities and emerging markets capturing the largest share of inflows. January marked the first month of net equity inflows since January 2025.
January observations:
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The Alight Solutions 401(k) Index statistics for the month of January: |
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Inflows and outflows during the month of January:
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Asset classes with most trading inflows in January | Percentage of inflows | Index dollar value ($mil) |
| International equity funds | 45% | $188 |
| Emerging markets | 33% | $136 |
Asset classes with most trading outflows in January | Percentage of outflows | Index dollar value ($mil) |
| Large U.S. equity funds | 59% | $245 |
| Stable value | 24% | $100 |
| Company stock funds | 12% | $48 |
January investment portfolios:
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Asset classes with largest percentage of total balance at the end of January | Percentage of balance | Index dollar value ($mil) |
Target date funds2 | 31% | $94,333 |
Large U.S. equity funds | 29% | $89,345 |
Company stock funds | 8% | $23,142 |
Asset classes with most contributions in January | Percentage of contributions | Index dollar value($mil) |
Target date funds2 | 43% | $897 |
Large U.S. equity funds | 27% | $564 |
International equity funds | 7% | $149 |
Returns for common indices | January | 2026 YTD |
Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index | 0.11% | 0.11% |
S&P 500 Index | 1.45% | 1.45% |
Russell 2000 Index | 5.35% | 5.35% |
MSCI All Country World ex-U.S. Index (net) | 5.98% | 5.98% |
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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