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To: shane forbes who wrote (15068)	9/17/1998 12:38:00 AM
From: shane forbes	Respond to of 25814

The fund industry has an uncanny ability to INTRODUCE new funds just when the stocks that constitute the fund are killed (BOTTOMed) (this naturally gives the fund the potential of big returns in the early years). This might be stretching it of course since the industry already has several thousand too many funds and is not fully applicable here because of the nature of a UIT but ML introducing a Tech UIT yesterday: ---- Merrill Lynch Introduces Defined Asset FundBased on Merrill Lynch 100 Technology Index NEW YORK, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Merrill Lynch today introduced a unique investment portfolio based on The Merrill Lynch 100 Technology Index (ML 100 Index), an equally weighted index of the 100 largest technology stocks, as defined by market capitalization and trading volume. The Defined Technology Portfolio, a unit investment trust in the Merrill Lynch Defined Asset Funds(SM) family, holds the same 100 stocks, re-weighted in the portfolio to enhance investment results. The portfolio was created to provide investors with a convenient way to invest in the capital appreciation potential of a diversified, global portfolio of technology stocks, while attempting to minimize the volatility characteristic of the sector. The stocks include computer services, software, hardware, networking, data processing, telecommunications and semiconductor companies. "Everyone knows that in recent years the technology industry has played a critical role in the equity markets. This new portfolio gives investors an opportunity to participate broadly without having to pick and choose among individual companies in this historically volatile sector," said Stanley Craig, Director of Merrill Lynch Defined Asset Funds. "The fund's risk minimization characteristics and diverse selection of stocks should be of particular appeal to investors." The Defined Technology Portfolio is a one-year fund that seeks to outperform the benchmark ML 100 Index by weighting the stocks using a re-balancing model that attempts to increase potential return without increasing risk. The weighting is determined through the application of a quantitative model developed by portfolio consultant Dr. Bernard V. Tew, expert in portfolio theory and application. Dr. Tew's model identifies the technology stocks that have strong potential for capital appreciation and are likely to provide portfolio performance that exceeds the ML 100 Index. Launched in February of this year and designed to become the benchmark for technology investing, the Merrill Lynch 100 Index includes a diversified representation of the technology sector and has well-defined index rules. It is quoted intraday by the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "MLO" (for Merrill Lynch One Hundred). Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies with offices in 45 countries and more than $1 trillion in total Private Client assets. As an investment bank, it is the top global underwriter and market maker of debt and equity securities and a leading strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals worldwide. Through Merrill Lynch Asset Management and Merrill Lynch Mercury Asset Management, wholly owned subsidiaries, Merrill Lynch operates one of the world's largest mutual fund groups. SOURCE Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. CO: Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. ST: New York IN: FIN CPR SU: PDT 09/15/98 12:42 EDT prnewswire.com ----