Mutual funds

Consultants to 401(k)s and other defined contribution plans are carefully analyzing, and in some cases replacing, the plans’ money market, stable value, inflation protection and target-date offerings, PIMCO found in a survey.

Fund managers in emerging markets are increasingly paying attention to environmental, social and corporate governance factors, according to research by Mercer.

WASHINGTON — The Treasury Department extended its $3 trillion temporary guarantee program for money market mutual funds through Sept. 19 to provide continued reassurance for investors.

AllianceBernstein announced Tuesday that it eliminated 237 positions in the first quarter, ending with a staff of 4,760, down from 4,997 at the beginning of the year. Thirty-one of the positions eliminated were held by investment professionals, including analysts, portfolio manager, chief investment officers, research directors and traders.

Exchange-traded funds continued to grow in popularity, despite last year's poor market performance, as investors continue to look for ways to cut management fees.

CVC Capital Partners of Britain is in exclusive talks with Barclays to purchase its iShares exchange-traded fund unit for more than $4 billion.

Young adults between the ages of 23 and 28 are more worried about being “financially fit” than “physically fit,” Charles Schwab found in a survey of 1,252 people conducted in January.

More than 100 funds that had closed to new investors have reopened since the beginning of 2007, but advisers warn that investors shouldn’t be so quick to jump in, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Putnam Investments has hired Benjamin H. Lewis as managing director of defined contribution sales and relationship management. A 23-year veteran of the 401(k) industry who began his career at Fidelity in 1986, Lewis most recently was senior vice president for Fidelity Employer Services Co.

Sullivan Named Head Of Fidelity Bond Group

PALM DESERT, Calif. - Andrew Donohue, director of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Investment Management, said Monday that he doesn't think the SEC will push for changes to rule 12b-1 govering mutual fund fees this year.

Seeing how it is going to be a very long time before mutual fund advertisements can tout three-, five- and you can just forget about one-year performance, we will be seeing more guarded, sober sales and marketing campaigns from investment managers for some time to come.

PIMCO, BlackRock Among First Fund Firms to Apply for Toxic Asset Program

PALM DESERT, Calif. - The United States is determined to show the world it is leading global economic recovery efforts, even if that means creating what some in the industry view as risky new risk regulators.

PALM DESERT, Calif. - Having exhausted their multimillion-dollar, class-action claims against big tobacco companies, the nation's top trial lawyers are now turning their attention to the mutual fund industry.

Because of the havoc that 2008 wreaked on so many investors’ portfolios, 46% of the 468 diversified U.S. equity funds that have had the same manager for the past decade, have negative returns for the 10 years ended Feb. 28, The Wall Street Journal reports. By comparison, the S&P 500 fell 3.4% on average over the past 10 years.

Conservative offerings and more focused customer attention will be the tenants of the fund industry going forward, according to speakers at the recent “Future of Fund Management” conference in London.

Bond funds took in $5.64 billion but stock funds lost $232 million in the week ended March 18, according to the Investment Company Institute.

Morningstar is now offering information on fund flows and market share to its institutional clients through its Morningstar Direct platform.

Federated’s assets rose 31% in the final five months of 2008, from $271.1 billion on June 30 to $355.7 billion at year’s end. During the whole year, the firm’s money market funds took in $110 billion.