Strange syntax with select - Mailing list pgsql-general

Hello,
I excuse my ignorance with SQL and my English.
I wonder if these procedures are correct or is it a bug?
I'm trying to put the result of a select within the v_saldo_ini variable, except I realized that the postgresql created a table with v_saldo_ini variable.

See the steps below:

CREATE TABLE contas
(
   vlr_saldo_inicial numeric(14,2)) ;

select sum(vlr_saldo_inicial) as saldo_ini
into v_saldo_ini
from contas;

--postgresql created v_saldo_ini table

select * from v_saldo_ini;
 saldo_ini
-----------
  20000.00
(1 record)


--if I executat = ro select below, returns the table v_saldo_ini already exists

select sum(vlr_saldo_inicial) as saldo_ini
 into v_saldo_ini
from contas;