NEW YORK: Foreign net flows to emerging market equity and debt portfolios picked up in April as currency volatility ebbed, with flows to Chinese equities taking a large share of the total, data from the Institute of International Finance showed on Monday.

The net estimated $45.5 billion in flows in April was the highest monthly figure since January and compares with a downwardly revised $9.8 billion net inflows in March. The April 2020 figure was $6.6 billion.

China took in 95% of net flows to equities last month with $13.5 billion of the $14.2 total. In debt, however, flows to Chinese debt were $4.8 billion in April, the lowest monthly reading since outflows of $11.6 billion in April last year.

Non-China flows to EM debt hit $26.4 billion, the highest since November.

“Emerging market real yield seem to be causing creditors to venture offshore in pursuit of higher inflation-adjusted returns,” said in a note Jonathan Fortun, economist at IIF.

A geographical split in the data shows positive figures across the board. The top performers were Asia, with debt inflows of $15.2 billion, and equities with $5.6 billion. Inflows to Latin America were $5.5 billion for equities and $7.8 billion for debt instruments, the data showed.