MMIT News and Press, IQ MacKay Municipal Intermediate From 05/05/22

We’re in the midst of a pretty significant outflow cycle - $20 billion-plus out of the municipal asset class to start the year. The impact on prices has been further compounded by tax-related selling. There’s also an increase in supply on the horizon. Major muni indi...

With U.S. bond market yields rising to levels not seen since 2018–19, market participants appear to be debating whether rates have further room to rise from here or whether the increases now represent a renewed buying opportunity to go long duration. The rise in UST yields thus...

We believe municipal bonds have reached compelling valuations versus U.S. Treasuries, creating a buying opportunity. Historically, 10-year municipal yields have averaged around 85% of comparable U.S. Treasuries, providing attractive after-tax return for investors above the 15% tax rat...

If China were to continue to pursue a Zero Covid policy amidst rising case counts, supply chains originating in Asia could get shut down again. On the food front, wheat is particularly vulnerable to a prolonged conflict, which has been reflected in the performance of wheat futures. ...

Though it has proven far from “transitory,” as the Federal Reserve labeled inflation last summer, we do believe there is anecdotal evidence that inflation may be peaking. Even though inflation was rising last summer, there was little response from the bond market, with y...

Negative total returns accelerated in March as interest rates moved sharply higher. Supply-and-demand dynamics turned less advantageous, and municipals underperformed. The reset in yields and valuations provides a favorable buying opportunity. For further details see: Mu...

Rating agencies reported that upgrades outpaced downgrades in 2021. The decline in the stock market produced concern that pension funding may decline, and the rise in inflation may reduce benefits. The shorter bonds can be sold to take advantage of large outflows from mutual funds...

Investors who look to bonds for safety and modest returns just received a brutal lesson in the perils of unexamined optimism. Basic investment doctrine holds that a trend of rising rates creates losses for existing bondholders. Surging inflation in Europe will soon be putting the ...

While the municipal bond market generally follows rate changes in the U.S. Treasury market, it does not move in lockstep. A contributing factor is that the tax exemption is valuable in all rate and tax environments to many types of investors. We believe it is likely that 2022 will...

The first quarter of 2022 is ending in the largest bond market sell-offs since 1994. The Federal Reserve has begun to tighten short-term interest rates with a hike in the Federal funds target rate from 0%–0.25% to 0.25%-0.5%. We are starting to see some signs that inflation...