Some Fund Investors Inquire About Lehman Exposure

With Lehman Brothers’ in Chapter 11, Bank of America acquiring Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailed out by the government, Bear Stearns acquired by JPMorgan and the future of AIG and Washington Mutual now hanging in the balance—mutual fund investors are calling to find out about potentially treacherous exposure. But so far, The Wall Street Journal reports, they are holding steady and not seeking mass redemptions.

“Investor behavior is taking the longer-term view,” said Waddell & Reed Senior Vice President Tom Butch. Acknowledging that stock funds have seen some redemptions, overall, Butch said, investors are remaining calm and looking to the long term. Waddell, PIMCO and American Beacon Funds saw no increase in call volume Monday.

At Vanguard, calls surged in the early part of the day Monday but then subsided, according to a company spokesman.