MCEF News and Press, First Trust Municipal CEF Income Opportunity ETF From 10/20/21

The strong economic and market trends of the first half of 2021 wavered during the third quarter. The coronavirus delta variant caught up with the US at the height of the summer, just as vaccinations slowed and concerns grew that inflation might flare and persist. Even so, equity mark...

The increase in Delta infections put a damper on the return to normalcy in the third quarter. Strong revenue growth and stimulus funds resulted in performance by states in excess of 2021 budget expectations. While ratings changes had been mostly positive for many years, the pandem...

Bond yields have moved up somewhat this month but are still a long way from trailing inflation. For most of 2020, beyond the peak of the pandemic, tax-free bond yields were close to taxable bond levels. Two Federal Reserve Bank Presidents, Eric Rosengren of the Boston Federal Rese...

The Treasury curve continued to flatten during the third quarter of 2021, with short-term Treasury yields rising while longer Treasury yields declined. As the Treasury curve flattened, we saw minimal movement in the already tight spreads of corporates and taxable municipals. At th...

A fixed income investment can serve as diversifier against equities, a source of income, or even protection against inflation when using TIPS. As interest rates and inflation expectations evolve, a tactical rules-based approach to portfolio optimization can help provide investors with...

With broad market indexes and income sectors like REITs and utilities hovering near all-time highs, the yields for many equity income investments are noticeably lower now than in the past. This note briefly discusses the income challenge facing investors and how allocations to midstre...

Value names remain attractively positioned to benefit from the ongoing macroeconomic recovery and positive outlook. Importantly, the growth-to-value rotation remains in early stages relative to historical cycles. The construction of the S-Network Sector Dividend Dogs Index (SDOGX) all...

Low interest rates for much of the last ten years have made it much tougher for investors seeking income from traditional sources such as bonds. Despite a recent improvement in performance, midstream yields remain well above historical averages and are superior to other income-oriente...

I am returning to the subject of closed-end funds. There is no sector of the markets that is more overlooked, less understood, and more full of promise, than closed-end funds. Closed-ends funds should not be purchased for appreciation, though you may get some. They should be utili...

The only space left with any real yield are some of the closed-end funds. Many of the ones that I like have monthly dividends and while most have leverage, the cost of leverage is just this side of zero. The risk/reward ratio makes some sense, where it doesn't in most other fixed-...