Money fund assets fall to $2.634 trillion

[October 21, 2011]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Total U.S. money market mutual fund assets fell $1.98 billion to $2.634 trillion for the week that ended Wednesday, the Investment Company Institute said Thursday.

Assets of the nation's retail money market mutual funds fell $1.18 billion to $944.24 billion, the Washington-based mutual fund trade group said. Assets of taxable money market funds in the retail category fell $1.21 billion to $750.73 billion. Tax-exempt retail fund assets rose $30 million to $193.51 billion.

Meanwhile, assets of institutional money market funds fell $810 million to $1.690 trillion. Among institutional funds, taxable money market fund assets rose $1.1 billion to $1.595 trillion; assets of tax-exempt funds fell $1.91 billion to $95.21 billion.

The seven-day average yield on money market mutual funds was 0.02 percent in the week that ended Tuesday, unchanged from the previous week, said Money Fund Report, a service of iMoneyNet Inc. in Westborough, Mass. The 30-day average yield was also unchanged at 0.02 percent.

The seven-day compounded yield was flat at 0.02 percent, as was the 30-day compounded yield at 0.02 percent, Money Fund Report said.

The average maturity of the portfolios held by money market mutual funds rose to 41 days from 40 days in the previous week.

The online service Bankrate.com said its survey of 100 leading commercial banks, savings and loan associations and savings banks in the nation's 10 largest markets showed the annual percentage yield available on money market accounts rose to 0.15 in the week that ended Wednesday, from 0.14 percent in the previous week.

The North Palm Beach, Fla.-based unit of Bankrate Inc. said the annual percentage yield available on interest-bearing checking fell to 0.06 percent from 0.07 percent the week before.

Bankrate.com said the annual percentage yield on six-month certificates of deposit was unchanged at 0.23 percent. Yields fell to 0.36 from 0.37 percent on one-year CDs, unchanged at 0.57 percent on 2 1/2-year CDs; and down to 1.20 percent from 1.22 percent on five-year CDs.

[Associated Press]

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