Unit Investment Trust Data
March 2002

Washington, DC, July 11, 2002 - Unit investment trusts, investment companies that hold fixed portfolios of selected stocks or bonds, had deposits of $1.35 billion in March 2002. For comparison, deposits were $1.17 billion in February 2002 and $1.73 billion in March 2001, according to statistics compiled by the Investment Company Institute.

Deposits to equity trusts totaled $1.25 billion in March 2002, compared with $1.00 billion in February 2002 and $1.52 billion in March 2001. Tax-free bond trusts recorded deposits of $44.0 million in March 2002, compared with $87.2 million in February 2002 and $131.6 million in March 2001. Deposits to taxable bond trusts reached $52.9 million in March 2002, compared with $73.4 million in February 2002 and $80.4 million in March 2001.

There were 41 new trusts issuing shares in March 2002. Of that total, seven were new tax-free bond trusts, 33 new equity trusts, and one new taxable bond trust.

In terms of maturity, long-term bond trusts having an average weighted maturity of more than 15 years were the most commonly offered in March 2002, with $65.0 million in shareholder deposits.

Historical unit investment trust deposit data are available dating back to January 1996.