Mutual Relief

U.S. investors pumped an estimated $30 billion into stock and bond mutual funds during February, but high unemployment and anxiety over the economy continue to weigh on the collective psyche of investors, according to research firm Strategic Insight.

But compared with the year-ago quarter, the trend is good news for the economy of Boston, home to a myriad of money managers and mutual fund powerhouse Fidelity Investments.

February’s inflows continued a trend of investors tiptoeing back into financial markets, and raised year-to-date net inflows into long-term mutual funds to $73 billion, Strategic Insight said.

For the first quarter of 2010, net inflows to stock and bond funds could top $100 billion, compared with the under-$10 billion garnered during the first quarter of 2009, Strategic Insight said. The estimates include open- and closed-end mutual funds, but exclude funds underlying variable annuities or exchange traded funds.

“Continued unemployment and economic anxiety weigh on investors. As a result, few such investors are adding to their holdings, especially their equity holdings,” said Avi Nachmany, Strategic Insight’s director of research. “We expect the preference for bond funds to persist for a while.”