Global equity funds attracted massive inflows for a third straight week in the seven days to Jan. 5, as world stocks started the new year on a solid footing, shrugging off worries over the Omicron COVID-19 variant, and higher inflation. Investors purchased global equity funds worth a net $19.01 billion in the period, data from Refinitiv Lipper showed, although that was down from $29.45 billion in the previous week. MSCI’s global equity index hit a record high this week, with strong gains across the board from the United States to Asia. However, minutes of the Federal Reserve’s most recent meeting, released on Wednesday, poured cold water on the rally as they pointed to a faster-than-expected rise in U.S. interest rates. Tech stocks were also hit during the week due to a spike in U.S. Treasury yields. U.S. equity funds attracted a net $8.98 billion in the week to Jan. 5, …