Investors seek refuge in money market funds as Iran conflict escalates

March 3 (Reuters) – Global investors piled into money market funds, data showed on Tuesday, seeking their short-term safety appeal as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran escalated and threatened global growth and inflation stability.

LSEG Lipper data showed U.S. money market funds attracted $30.75 billion in inflows, the highest among major categories, as investors sought safe-haven assets, while global bond funds also recorded fresh demand.

Global money market funds received $47.9 billion in inflows, the highest since February 17, when they attracted $48.2 billion.

U.S. alternative equity leveraged funds, including private equity, hedge funds and leveraged ETFs that use derivatives to magnify daily returns, drew about $1 billion in inflows.

U.S. short-term bond funds and municipal bond funds also recorded net inflows.

U.S. natural resources equity funds, including energy and mining, attracted inflows as oil and gas prices rose after Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran disrupted Middle East energy facilities and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

By contrast, investors reduced exposure to equities, pulling $9.6 billion from U.S.-focused equity funds, while global ex-U.S. equity funds and U.S. technology sector funds each saw outflows exceeding $1 billion.

Global equity funds witnessed an outflow of $9.1 billion on Monday, the highest in more than two months.

(Reporting By Patturaja Murugaboopathy in Bengaluru; Editing by Vidya Ranganathan and Alex Richardson)