(Reuters) – U.S. equity funds have recorded inflows for the fifth consecutive week, as investors remain optimistic over robust third-quarter earnings growth despite concerns surrounding high valuations in the technology sector. A net total of $4.36 billion flowed into U.S. equity funds for the week ending November 19, marking a significant increase from approximately $965 million the previous week, according to LSEG Lipper data. Mark Haefele, chief investment officer at UBS Global Wealth Management, commented, „The resilient outlook for economic and corporate earnings growth, combined with the accelerating effects of AI and longevity, supports our positive stance on U.S. equities.“ Data from LSEG covering 473 S&P 500 companies revealed a 16.3% rise in third-quarter profits compared to a year ago, substantially surpassing analyst expectations of a 4.9% increase. Haefele noted, „The third-quarter earnings season was robust.“ However, the S&P 500 Index dipped to a two-month low of 6534.05 on Thursday, driven by a selloff in the technology sector and delayed data complicating the labor market outlook. In the past week, large-cap funds attracted $6.93 billion, a significant rise from $2.38 billion in net purchases the previous week. Meanwhile, small-cap funds saw a net inflow of $404 million, while mid-cap funds experienced a net outflow of $2.04 billion. Additionally, inflows into U.S. bond funds decreased to a seven-week low of $4.11 billion. Short-to-intermediate government and treasury funds attracted $1.45 billion, a drop from $3.01 billion the week prior. General domestic taxable fixed-income funds brought in a net $1.93 billion, consistent with the preceding week’s figures. Money market funds reported a net outflow of $22.89 billion, continuing a trend of losses for a second consecutive week. (Reporting by Gaurav Dogra; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)