WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000789281
<NAME> Federated Income Securities Trust
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 022
<NAME> Federated Intermediate Income Fund - Institutional Service Shares
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> Apr-30-2001
<PERIOD-END> Oct-31-2000
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 326,091,620
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 320,189,877
<RECEIVABLES> 7,651,441
<ASSETS-OTHER> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 327,841,318
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 3,614,367
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,819,125
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 5,433,492
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 335,163,574
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 3,308,710
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 1,920,730
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> (120,995)
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (6,733,010)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (5,901,743)
<NET-ASSETS> 31,777,992
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1,403,390
<INTEREST-INCOME> 10,432,076
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (924,606)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 10,910,860
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (2,273,880)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 7,383,642
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 16,020,622
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (896,457)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 1,830,099
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (510,597)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 68,478
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 9,605,080
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (4,459,130)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (47,463)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 803,594
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1,481,250
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 26,958,761
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.450
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.320
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 0.150
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (0.320)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0.000
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.000
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.600
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 0.80
[AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING] 0
[AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE] 0.000
</TABLE>
