Stock funds gain $12.71 bln, ending stellar January -Lipper

By Sam Forgione NEW YORK, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Investors poured $12.71 billion into U.S.-based stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in the latest week, concluding the strongest four-week flows into stock funds since 1996, data from Thomson Reuters' Lipper service showed on Thursday. Demand for both stock mutual funds and ETFs rose in the week ended Jan. 30. Investors gave $5.78 billion to stock mutual funds, up from $3.66 billion the prior week and showing retail investors' faith