Investments

Bill Would Require Funds to Reveal Proxies

Long-term mutual funds ended the week of Jan. 20 with net inflows of $13.18 billion, according to the Investment Company Institute. This brings the sales streak to 45 straight weeks totaling $454 billion.

Bank of New York Mellon is in talks to acquire the investment servicing unit of PNC Financial Services for as much as $2.5 billion to attract hedge fund and mutual fund clients, Bloomberg reports.

Franklin Resources reported its fiscal first-quarter profit for the quarter ended Dec. 31 nearly tripled to $355.6 million, or $1.54 per share, up from the $120.9 million, or 52 cents a share, it earned in the last quarter of 2008. Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.41 per share.

The Securities and Exchange Commission last Wednesday adopted several amendments to Rule 2a-7 governing money market funds that aim to reduce risks by increasing credit quality, improving liquidity, shortening maturity limits and requiring the disclosure of a fund’s “shadow” net asset value.

Fred Alger Management has launched the Alger Dynamic Opportunities Fund, a mutual fund that will invest both long and short, similarly to the privately placed, institutional Alger Dynamic Return Fund.

With more of these products being introduced, competition will increase.

But how much do you and your clients want to juggle?

Long-term mutual funds ended the week of Jan. 20 with net inflows of $13.18 billion, according to the Investment Company Institute. This brings the sales streak to 45 straight weeks totaling $454 billion.

Now that BlackRock Inc. has become the elephant in the room, the New York-based money manager plans to spend 2010 expanding internationally, developing its exchange-traded fund and defined contribution businesses.

Janus Capital Group enjoyed the benefits of the market recovery and increased demand for its fixed income funds as it posted strong profits for the fourth quarter.

After spending much of the past two years repairing its balance sheet, E-Trade Financial Corp. plans to shift its customer base from just active traders to include more long-term investors.

Despite a strong fourth quarter that saw assets under management and investment fees surge, T. Rowe Price Group Inc. still plans to follow a more conservative strategy than some its peers.

The ETF Council, a new trade organization for exchange-traded funds that will focus on both marketing and lobbying, is set to launch next month.

Investors Exhale and Look Ahead

Sun Life Financial is announcing the new Sun Life Rising Star Awards program, through will it will provide more than $1 million in grants, scholarships and financial education to thousands of at-risk youth and the non-profit organizations that work on their behalf. The program recognizes high school students who are committed to furthering their education.

Assets under management increased 8.5% over the quarter to $155.2 billion.

One silver lining was the firm’s wealth advisory group.

The online brokerage company wants to add longer-term retirement customers and wealthier clients to its base of day traders.

The Great Recession has prompted an overwhelming majority of American workers to believe it’s time for a new and improved model for workplace retirement programs, Prudential Financial found in a survey.