$5.55 billion in settlement money available to investors

Investors can make claims to more than $5.55 billion in currently outstanding pending and tentative securities class-action settlements, according to Securities Class Action Services. The largest pending settlements for which shareholders may file claims include $2.65 billion in the WorldCom Inc./Citigroup Inc. settlement; $245 million, Global Crossing Ltd.; $102 million, Symbol Technologies Inc.; and $100 million, Honeywell International Inc. About one out of every four eligible investors, including institutions, never file claims for their share of the settlement, said Bruce T. Carton, executive director of Securities Class Action Services, a unit of Institutional Shareholder Services. Through June 30, final settlements totaled $614 million from 63 cases. In 2003, settlements totaled $3.73 billion from 170 cases, compared with $2.76 billion from 165 cases in 2002.