Americans are fleeing the stock markets

U.S. investors withdrew more money in April of investment funds consisting of equities (mutual funds, exchange traded funds) than any April during the last 17 years before fears of failure the European economy.

Equity funds had experienced withdrawals of U.S. $ 18.6 billion at April 25, according to data compiled by EPFR Global, a research firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Withdrawals in April are the largest since 1996, the first year that comparable data are available.

Investors have their money out of equity funds since the outbreak of the financial crisis in 2008 which has lost 38% S & P 500.

In the U.S., liquidity continue to enter into bond funds while the main stock market index has more than doubled since hitting a low in 12 years in March 2009.

The mutual funds that invest in stocks, suffered withdrawals of U.S. $ 121 billion in the 12 months preceding March 31, according to Morningstar. Bond funds have in turn attracted a total sum of U.S. $ 191 billion aware of this same period.