U.S. equity funds get first weekly net inflows in three - Lipper

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A man points a computer screen showing stock information in this illustration photo taken in Bordeaux, France, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. equity funds lured capital inflows in the week to Wednesday, after two weeks of outflows, as optimistic investors bet on recovery hopes, ignoring higher inflation levels.

Data from Refinitiv Lipper showed investors bought $386 million worth of U.S. equity funds in the week to June 16, with caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting outcome, capping further inflows.

U.S. equity value funds attracted $1.7 billion worth of inflows, while growth funds received a net $1.85 billion, after facing outflows for the past two weeks.

(Graphic: Fund flows into U.S. equities bonds and money market - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/jznpnwrlovl/Fund%20flows%20into%20U.S.%20equities%20bonds%20and%20money%20market.jpg)

Among equity sectors, U.S. real estate funds attracted purchases worth a net $528 million, in their third consecutive week of net inflows, bolstered by a surge in housing prices in the United States.

Wall Street's main indexes were jolted earlier this week after the Fed unexpectedly signaled it could begin tapering its massive stimulus sooner than expected, setting the benchmark S&P 500 on course to snap a three-week winning streak.

The U.S. money market funds had $26.4 billion in outflows, the biggest in nine weeks.

(Graphic: Flows into U.S. equity sector fund -https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/gjnvwmnjdvw/Flows%20into%20U.S.%20equity%20sector%20funds.jpg)

(Graphic: Fund flows into U.S. growth and value funds - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/azgpoogagpd/Fund%20flows%20into%20U.S.%20growth%20and%20value%20funds.jpg)

Also, investors purchased a net $4.3 billion in U.S. bond funds, the lowest in three weeks. Both U.S. taxable bond funds and municipal bond funds witnessed the lowest net buying in three weeks at $2.7 billion and $1.65 billion, respectively. U.S. short and intermediate investment-grade funds attracted $2.63 billion in inflows, a 12% increase over the last week. Inflation-protected bond funds, with inflows of $0.8 billion, also lured investors for the seventh straight week.

(Graphic: Flows into U.S. bond funds -https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/oakvebkebpr/Flows%20into%20U.S.%20bond%20funds.jpg)