jan 13 reuters  us bond funds attracted their biggest weekly inflow in 18 months in the seven days to jan 4 on signs of cooling inflation that boosted hopes the federal reserve might scale back the size of its interest rate hikes refinitiv lipper data showed us bond funds attracted a net 1052 billion worth of purchases the biggest weekly inflow since late june 2021 data released on thursday showed us consumer prices unexpectedly fell for the first time in more than 212 years in december amid declining costs for gasoline and other goods suggesting that inflation was now on a sustained downward trend us taxable bond funds received 88 billion the biggest weekly inflow since late june 2021 while municipal bond funds attracted a net 174 billion investors purchased us shortintermediate investmentgrade funds of 363 billion in their most extensive weekly net buying since jan 2022 while highyield general domestic taxable fixed income and government bond funds received 235 billion 182 billion and 927 million respectively outflows from equity funds meanwhile dropped to an eightweek low of 201 billion us growth and value funds remained out of favour with net selling worth about 4 billion and 757 million respectively however some sectoral funds observed buying interest with investors purchasing industrials financials and materials sector funds worth net 113 billion 477 million and 435 million respectively meanwhile money market funds recorded 1722 billion in outflows after two weeks of inflows reporting by gaurav dogra and patturaja murugaboopathy in bengaluru editing by conor humphries