Short Takes: Money Fund Assets Jump 1.1% in Week

the week ended Nov. 21, the Investment Company Institute reported. The $8 billion gain was broad-based, affecting every class of assets - taxable and tax-exempt, retail and institutional. Retail assets rose $5 billion to $533.52 billion in the week, according to the institute, a Washington-based mutual-fund trade group. That includes $431.56 billion in taxable funds, up $4.43 billion, and $101.96 billion in tax-exempt funds, up $571.9 million. Money funds for institutional investors netted $3.06 billion to close the week at $228.59 billion. Taxable funds held $203.92 billion of that total, up $2.84 billion in the week. Tax-exempt funds held $24.68 billion, up $217.8 million. Separately, the institute said investors didn't shy away from money funds that invest primarily in government securities during the recent budget standoff between Congress and President Clinton. In the week ended Nov. 15, assets of these funds rose 1%, to $92 billion, nearly double the rate of increase for money funds that invest in a mix of Treasuries, agency securities, and high-grade corporate debt. - Debra Cope and Scott Hensley