Ticker Talk: News and Notes

* More than three-quarters of the money that went into U.S. mutual funds last year was invested through an intermediary, which suggests that most fund investors still want investment advice. The Investment Company Institute estimated Wednesday that 77% of last year’s stock and bond fund purchases were made through a financial advisor or other intermediary, a figure that has risen steadily in recent years. “It’s clear that the do-it-yourself investor won’t be the source of future growth for fund companies,” said Neil Bathon, head of Financial Research Corp. in Boston.