ECONOMIC REPORTS

Women's Investment Clubs on Rise

ALL-WOMEN investment clubs have become a hot trend in recent years. And much of the rage is due to the success of the Beardstown Ladies, 16 grandma-types who started their own investment club a decade ago and have been outperforming most professional money managers ever since.

The membership of the National Association of Investors Corp. was 15 percent women in 1960. Today, half are women. And of the NAIC's 18,714 member investment clubs, 35 percent are all-women's clubs, the same number as are all-men's.

''We are seeing more and more women taking over the family finances,'' says NAIC president Kenneth Janky.

Which gender has the better record? Over the years, all-women's groups tend to outperform all-men's, Mr. Janky says. Last year, however, was an exception. All-men's groups did better. ''Women are more analytical,'' he contends. ''They will not take the advice of some barber. They still want to do their homework.''

- Shelley Donald Coolidge

North Carolina is top 'magnet state'

MILD weather and a strong economy helped make North Carolina the No. 1 ''magnet state'' for people relocating in 1995, an annual survey of Allied Van Lines customers finds. Georgia, Oregon, and Nevada also saw about two moving vans arrive for each one leaving. New York, North Dakota, and California were the top ''outbound states.''

- Staff