VTB announced the growing interest in bond funds among retail investors

Since the beginning of the monetary policy easing cycle, deposit rates have steadily begun to fall, which has contributed to an increase in the activity of retail investors. This was announced on Monday, July 28, by the VTB press service.

In the first half of the year, the bank's total inflow of funds into bond funds and trust management strategies, including foreign currency, exceeded 13.6 billion rubles (mutual funds — 5.5 billion, mutual funds — 8.1 billion rubles). This is three times more than in the same period last year.

Balanced funds have become the most sought-after instrument among retail investors, showing a record market-wide inflow of 137 billion rubles since the beginning of the year. This dynamic indicates the willingness of investors to gradually increase the share of shares in portfolios while maintaining the protective component in the form of debt instruments.

"The period of extremely high deposit rates has led to the concentration of funds on deposits from both retail depositors and investors. Now we are witnessing a smooth trend reversal towards investment strategies that can provide higher returns over a long period of time. At the same time, investors remain cautious for now and prefer balanced and bond funds, guided by the principle of "if you drive more quietly, you will continue," commented Dmitry Breitenbikher, member of the VTB Management Board.

According to the Central Bank, in total, bond funds attracted 104 billion rubles in the market in 2025, confirming the demand for conservative strategies. Significant inflows were recorded in Real Estate stocks (48.5 billion rubles) and Precious Metals stocks (9 billion rubles), reflecting interest in alternative assets. At the same time, the equity funds received 7 billion rubles.

According to VTB experts, the deposit remains a profitable conservative instrument, the terms of which are still attractive to retail customers and allow them to increase their income faster than inflation.

"The volume of ruble deposits of individuals in Russia in the first half of the year increased by 6.9% and exceeded 57.3 trillion, the total portfolio of household funds in bank accounts amounted to more than 60.6 trillion rubles. According to our calculations, in the first half of the year, depositors earned 4 trillion rubles in interest income, which is 50% more than in the same period last year," Breitenbicher added.

By the rate order: deposit profitability returned to the level of August 2024

They dropped below 19%, as the market prepares for an early decline in key

Marina Kulikova, Financial Director and consultant on management and financial accounting, told Izvestia on July 15 that government securities (OFZ) provide yields of up to 16% per annum and virtually eliminate the risk of default. According to her, if the key rate starts to decrease, the value of bonds may rise, which will bring additional profits.