Our study has signicant real-world economic implications. European funds grew from a little over $3 trillion during 2000 to nearly $9 trillion during 2007; by the end of 2007, the European industry amounted to nearly three-quarters of the size of the . mutual fund industry, which, over the same period, grew from $7 trillion to $12 trillion. Further, there were over 35,000 European- domiciled mutual funds by the end of 2010 (Investment Company Institute, 2011), almost ve times the number of funds, indicating that the European market is highly frag- mented. .
