21.   Often overlooked by investors in favor of high-flying equity funds, real estate funds offer value and are regarded by analysts as safer investments than volatile stocks these days.

22.   Short-term securities such as three-month bills rose, meantime, as a drop in U.S. stocks prompted some investors to seek safer investments.

23.   SINAGPORE benchmark stocks rose to their highest point in three days as investors bet that Singapore shares were a safer investment compared with those in riskier Asian markets.

24.   So people who will need money in a short time would be safer choosing investments with less risk than stocks.

25.   Some economists speculate that housing is actually benefiting from the stock market crash as some people see homes as a safer investment.

26.   Something that would prompt a substantial test would a decision by individual investors to reduce their stock holdings in favor of safer investments.

27.   Still, with the rise in the dollar against the yen, investors seeking safer investments are looking outside Japan.

28.   That could prompt international investors to park their money in safer investments in their own currencies to reduce exchange-rate risk, traders said.

29.   That is forcing the companies to move to safer investments and put less new money into shares, analysts said.