The Markets

Funds See September Asset Drop

The combined assets of the nation's mutual funds fell 8.3% or $959 billion to $10.6 trillion in September, according to Investment Company Institute (ICI) data.

Managed Account Assets at $1.8T

Total managed accounts assets reached $1.85 trillion through the first half of 2008, according to the annual report “Cerulli Quantitative Update: Managed Accounts 2008.″

The Alternative Route

Following the success of alternative investments for institutional investors, advisers are increasingly using alternative investments in the retail market, Cerulli research says.

The Rising Fame of ETFs

It certainly hasn’t happened yet, but Cerulli analysts say exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could rival mutual funds if they become widely adopted in defined contributions plans.

Fund Managers Pessimistic about Economy

Investors are waiting for the right conditions to return to equity markets amid the most pessimistic outlook yet recorded, according to Merrill Lynch’s Survey of Fund Managers for...