U.S. junk bond mutual funds saw a $126 million outflow in the week ended Wednesday, pushing total outflows this year to about $8.4 billion, according to AMG Data Services.

The outflows, reported late on Thursday, followed a $59.8 million outflow in the prior week.

Junk bonds, which lack investment-grade ratings, have suffered from profit-taking as investors cashed out following a strong rally last year. Counting interest and price changes, junk bonds are barely breaking even this year, with total returns of 0.6 percent, according to Merrill Lynch. The bonds returned 28 percent in 2003, the best performance in more than a decade.

(AMG)