MQT News and Press, Blackrock MuniYield Quality Fund II Inc. From 02/11/21

Strong performance has continued to stretch rich muni bond valuations. We expect strong demand to continue outpacing elevated supply. Additional fiscal aid and vaccine distribution could support fundamentals. For further details see: Munis Off To A Running Start

Municipal bonds have done well since the election, since a Democratic Administration is typically good for additional state and local relief, even more badly needed this year thanks to the pandemic. Also, it's pretty clear higher taxes in some form or fashion are on the way, whether i...

The price of risk is what investors demand as a premium, an extra return over and above what they can make on a guaranteed investment (risk free), to invest in a risky asset. Corporate bonds are traded, and as a consequence, and you can use traded prices to estimate default spreads in...

Despite 2020's many challenges, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index was up 5.2%, with returns that were even more compelling for the second half of the year, across the credit spectrum. During the year, we expect net supply to turn negative as more bonds mature or more bonds t...

The municipal securities most affected by the pandemic were in the sectors of transportation, hospitality and entertainment, higher education, and healthcare; and most of these sectors did receive CARES Act funding. Moody's notes that although COVID-19 continues to weigh on credit qua...

The new Administration's tax proposals, in year one, total some $3.9 trillion, according to Moody's Analytics estimates. Yields on munis sank to 1.14%, which is their lowest since 1979. Also, the municipal bond spread to Treasuries is near historic lows. Yields have gone up somewh...

The bond fund outflows of March followed the downdraft in oil prices caused by the onset of the pandemic, which caused the sharp sell-off in the stock market. The rebound at the end of March was one of the most vigorous muni rallies ever witnessed. Muni yields across the board are...

A dearth of municipal issuance drove strong performance in November. Typical year-end outflows due to tax loss selling have yet to emerge. We expect firm demand to outpace modest issuance through year end. For further details see: Munis Make Up For A Rough Ride

Municipal bonds are still looking like a compelling piece of the CEF market despite the prospect of higher interest rates. For munis, remember it's the spread between borrowing costs (for leverage) and earnings on that borrowed money that matters most for sustainable distributions. ...

With the odds against the Democrats winning both Senate seats in the Georgia runoff, the Biden administration will likely have to work with a Republican Senate majority to navigate various tax policy issues in the coming year. Infrastructure seems to be the one topic that a potentiall...