Money Is Still Running From PIMCO's Total Return ETF

The Pimco Total Return Exchange-Traded Fund, an actively managed ETF designed to mimic the strategy of the flagship mutual fund, posted its second straight month of outflows in October.

Outflows in October totaled $437 million, less than September's $631 million outflow, according to Morningstar data.

The Pimco Total Return ETF saw nearly $550 million in outflows in the two days following news of the departure of longtime manager Bill Gross, which was announced on September 26.

The Total Return ETF was also at the center of a September 23 Wall Street Journal report that said the SEC was investigation whether the firm artificially boosted returns for the fund.

That report came just days before Gross left PIMCO for Janus Capital, where he now manages Janus Unconstrained Bond Fund.

News of outflows from PIMCO's Total Return ETF follows the release of Gross' latest investment outlook, which, among other things, saw Gross write that he is a "philosophical nomad disguised in western clothing."

(Reporting from Reuters by Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)