MMF Yields, Sweeps Still Rock Bottom
Money market fund yields continue to bottom out just above zero, as our flagship Crane 100 remained unchanged in the last week to 0.02%. The Crane 100 Money Fund Index fell below the 1.0% level roughly a year ago in mid-March, and below the 0.5% level in late March. It is down from 1.46% at the start of 2020 and down from 2.23% at the beginning of 2019. Three-quarters of all money funds and over half of MMF assets have since landed on the zero yield floor, though many continue to show some yield. According to our Money Fund Intelligence Daily, as of Friday, 3/26, 634 funds (out of 836 total) yield 0.00% or 0.01% with assets of $2.768 trillion, or 56.7% of the total $4.882 trillion. There are 194 funds yielding between 0.02% and 0.10%, totaling $2.018 trillion, or 41.3% of assets; 8 funds yielded between 0.11% and 0.20% with $96.0 billion, or 2.0% of assets. No funds yield over 0.18%. The Crane Money Fund Average, which includes all taxable funds tracked by Crane Data (currently 672), shows a 7-day yield of 0.02%, unchanged in the week through Friday, 3/26. The Crane Money Fund Average is down 45 bps from 0.47%, a year ago at beginning of April. Prime Inst MFs were unchanged at 0.04% in the latest week, Government Inst MFs were flat at 0.02%, and Treasury Inst MFs were unchanged at 0.01%. Treasury Retail MFs currently yield 0.01%, (unchanged in the last week), Government Retail MFs also yield 0.01% (unchanged in the last week), and Prime Retail MFs yield 0.02% (unchanged). Tax-exempt MF 7-day yields were also unchanged at 0.01%. (Let us know if you'd like to see our latest MFI Daily.) The latest Brokerage Sweep Intelligence, with data as of March 26, showed no changes in the last week. All major brokerages, with the exception of RW Baird, offer rates of 0.01% for balances of $100K. No brokerage sweep rates or money fund yields have gone negative to date, but this could become a distinct possibility in coming weeks or months. Crane's Brokerage Sweep Index has been flat for the last 49 weeks at 0.01% (for balances of $100K). Ameriprise, E*Trade, Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Raymond James, Schwab, TD Ameritrade, UBS and Wells Fargo all currently have rates of 0.01% for balances at the $100K tier level (and almost every other tier too). RW Baird offers a rate of 0.02% for its balances of $100K.
