Municipal Bonds Market Yields | FMSbonds.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the current yield of municipal bonds? ›

The yield to worst is ~3.95%, which equates to a taxable equivalent yield to worst of ~6.67% for an investor in the top federal tax bracket and subject to the net investment income tax.

Municipal bond gross supply is expected to total around $450 billion in 2024, up meaningfully from $330 billion in 2023. However, with approximately $400 billion of bonds maturing in 2024 and significant coupon payments, supply will likely be net neutral.

We continue to have a favorable view of munis due to high attractive yields and generally favorable credit conditions. There may be bouts of volatility during the second half of the year largely due to the election.

After a bumpy first half of 2024, the municipal bond market is starting to enjoy favorable tailwinds. In fact, from supportive “summer technicals” to high municipal bond yields and compelling credit opportunities, current conditions point to a strong second half of the year.

Investment advisers say now is a fine time for bonds. They are a good investment in 2024, experts say, for the same reasons they felt like a bad investment in 2022. That year, the Federal Reserve embarked on a dramatic campaign of interest-rate hikes in response to inflation, which reached a 40-year high.

One of the major advantages of owning municipal bonds over taxable bonds, such as corporates and Treasuries, is the tax-free income. Because of this advantage, the yield on municipal bonds typically trades much lower than comparable taxable bonds.

While it may be a great time to buy, hold, and ladder bonds, the outlook is also bright for investors in funds that manage bonds with an eye to making money as prices rise.

Municipal bonds, like all bonds, pose interest rate risk. The longer the term of the bond, the greater the risk. If interest rates rise during the term of your bond, you're losing out on a better rate. This will also cause the bond you are holding to decline in value.

What is the downside of municipal bonds? ›

Cons. Market prices could tank: If interest rates go up, the market prices of existing bonds will go down. That means you could have to sell your bond at a loss.

The short answer is bonds tend to be less volatile than stocks and often perform better during recessions than other financial assets.

The price and yield (the income return on an investment) of a bond generally have an inverse relationship. In other words, as the price of a bond goes down, the yield goes up and vice versa. Thus, when interest rates rise, a bond's price usually declines because an investor can earn a higher yield with another bond.

In 2024, we believe municipal market prices will rise and mutual funds will provide a compelling vehicle to capture that performance potential. We believe that active portfolio positioning and flexibility are providing an edge so far this year. For example, the municipal yield curve has been inverted all year.

10 Year Treasury Rate is at 3.66%, compared to 3.68% the previous market day and 4.29% last year. This is lower than the long term average of 4.25%. The 10 Year Treasury Rate is the yield received for investing in a US government issued treasury security that has a maturity of 10 year.

Currently, investors can expect a 3.4% 30-day SEC yield, which like most bond funds is paid on a monthly basis.