The Markets

January mutual fund flows of $86.6 billion were record-breaking, and exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets reached a new high of $1.4 trillion at the end of the month.

Defined contribution (DC) plans could gain the investment efficiencies enjoyed by many defined benefit (DB) plans, a paper contends.

Fidelity Investments said it would close the Fidelity Small Cap Value Fund (retail and adviser share classes) to new accounts.

Institutional investors should have one eye on the opportunities from an economic recovery, and the other on managing the substantial risks that remain, says Mercer.

Tax changes from the fiscal cliff deal are prompting investors to ask questions about the drag higher rates could have on portfolio returns in 2013.

Defined contribution (DC) plan participants’ daily transfer volume in January was far above recent trends, according to Aon Hewitt 401(k) Index.

Fund managers have turned more optimistic about the prospects for equity returns while remaining negative on world growth and medium-term government bonds.

The Dietrich Pension Risk Transfer Index increased from its prior month level of 84.92 to 86.71 as of February 1, 2013.   

Institutional investors continue to diversify their investment portfolios into alternative assets, according to Towers Watson.

The U.S. mutual fund industry (open- and closed-end funds, and exchange-traded funds) is set to surpass $15 trillion in assets in February, according to Strategic Insight.

More employers plan to decrease their pension risk exposure by offering participants a one-time, lump-sum pension payout in 2013.

Investors added $86.5 billion to long-term open-end mutual funds in January.

A growing number of small and midsized U.S. institutions are considering outsourcing discretionary control of part or all of their investment portfolios, a report asserts.

 The median return of the BNY Mellon U.S. Master Trust Universe was 1.95% for the fourth quarter of 2012.   

Exchange-traded fund (ETF) assets increased $67.7 billion (5.0%) in January.

Now is a good time for gold in retirement savings accounts —but only if investors are seeking long-term gain rather than quarterly returns.

January 2013 saw record-setting stock and bond mutual fund net inflows reaching and possibly exceeding $90 billion (excluding additional inflows to ETFs)....

Target maturity funds continue to see total assets climb to all-time highs.

 California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris filed a lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s (S&P) for inflating its ratings of structured finance investments.  

Concern over market volatility remains on high alert, and returns are expected to dip, according to research by Casey Quirk and eVestment.