Money Fund Yields Stay Flat at 4.11%
Money fund yields (7-day, annualized, simple, net) were unchanged at 4.11% on average during the week ended Friday, August 15 (as measured by our Crane 100 Money Fund Index), after decreasing 2 bps the week prior. Fund yields should stay relatively flat until the Fed cuts rates again, perhaps in mid-September. They've declined by 95 bps since the Fed first cut its Fed funds target rate by 50 bps on Sept. 18, 2024, and they've declined by 52 bps since the Fed last cut rates by 1/4 point on 11/7/24. Yields were 4.13% on 6/30, 4.10% on 5/31, 4.13% on 4/30/25, 4.14% on 3/31/25 and 4.28% on average on 12/31/24. MMFs averaged 4.75% on 9/30/24, 5.10% on 6/28/24, 5.14% on 3/31/24 and 5.20% on 12/31/23. The broader Crane Money Fund Average, which includes all taxable funds tracked by Crane Data (currently 677), shows a 7-day yield of 4.01%, no change in the week through Friday. Prime Inst money fund yields didn't change at 4.24% in the latest week. Government Inst MFs were down 2 bps at 4.11%. Treasury Inst MFs were down 1 bp at 4.05%. Treasury Retail MFs currently yield 3.82%, Government Retail MFs yield 3.82%, and Prime Retail MFs yield 4.01%, Tax-exempt MF 7-day yields were up 33 bps to 2.12%. Assets of money market funds rose by $8.8 billion last week to $7.548 trillion, according to Crane Data's Money Fund Intelligence Daily.MMF assets hit a record high of $7.548 trillion (on August 15) after their previous high of $7.547 trillion set on August 8. For the month of August (MTD), MMF assets have increased $77.4 billion after increasing by $63.7 billion in July, $6.7 billion in June, $100.9 billion in May, decreasing $24.4 billion in April, increasing by $2.8 billion in March, $94.2 billion in February, $52.8 billion in January, $110.9 billion in December, $200.5 billion in November, $97.5 billion in October and $149.8 billion in September. Weighted average maturities were at 40 days for the Crane MFA and 41 days the Crane 100 Money Fund Index. According to Monday's Money Fund Intelligence Daily, with data as of Friday (8/15), 116 money funds (out of 789 total) yield under 3.0% with $141.2 billion in assets, or 1.9%; 252 funds yield between 3.00% and 3.99% ($1.327 trillion, or 17.6%), 421 funds yield between 4.0% and 4.99% ($6.079 trillion, or 80.5%) and following the recent rate cut there continue to be zero funds yielding 5.0% or more. Our Brokerage Sweep Intelligence Index, an average of FDIC-insured cash options from major brokerages, was unchanged at 0.40%, after falling 1 bp thirteen weeks prior. The latest Brokerage Sweep Intelligence, with data as of August 15, shows no changes over the past week. Three of the 10 major brokerages tracked by our BSI still offer rates of 0.01% for balances of $100K (and lower tiers). These include: E*Trade, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley.
