Stock Funds Pulled In $43.76 Bil In Jan.; 3rd Highest On Record; Feb. looks more normal at estimated $15.4 bil; bond funds also positive.(MUTUAL FUNDS)(INVESTMENT TRENDS)

Byline: MURRAY COLEMAN

Investors shoveled $43.76 billion into stock funds in January, the third-biggest month on record, the Investment Company Institute said.

The January figure compared with $14.18 billion in December and was the 11th straight month of inflow. That's the longest stretch since 2000. The two months of inflow that exceeded January's were $55.61 billion in February 2000 and $44.54 billion in January of that year.

The market provided a positive backdrop. During the month, the Nasdaq composite climbed 3.1%, while the Dow industrials rose 0.32%. The indexes began drifting off their highs the last week of January.

U.S. stock funds accounted for $32.58 billion of January's total vs. $9.34 billion in December. International equity funds made up the rest.

Bond funds took in a net $496 million, the first month of inflow since June and vs. outflow of $3.25 billion in December. Taxable bond funds had inflow of $718 million, while municipal bonds saw outflow of $222 million.

Hybrid funds, which invest in stock and bonds, posted inflow of $5.5 billion in January vs. $3.63 billion in December.