Christine Albano is a reporter in the Investor’s & Investing beat, which she has covered for the past two decades. She has a wide range of buy side sources in the municipal market and has covered trends affecting retail investors, institutions, municipal mutual funds, tax-exempt money market funds, and the high-yield beat. She has also written about some of the industry’s biggest issues, such as historic defaults in Orange County, Calif., Puerto Rico, and Jefferson County, Ala., as well as the collapse of the variable-rate demand market. In addition, she reported on the subsequent 2008 financial crisis, and the death of municipal bond pioneer Jim Lebenthal. She provided next day coverage of the impact on the municipal bond market of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, and recently interviewed The Vanguard Group Inc. founder, former chief executive officer, and investment guru John C. Bogle about the best investing advice for the municipal market.
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While the pressure was on municipal yields, which rose two to four basis points, the Investment Company Institute reported another week of inflows, with $928 million coming into municipal bond mutual funds and another $285 million into ETFs.
By Lynne FunkMay 12 -
Tighter spreads and richer ratios are likely to continue, particularly as looming tax increases amplify the value of the tax-exemption, but analysts are hesitant to predict how much lower rates can go before investors balk.
May 10 -
Refinitiv Lipper reported $584 million of inflows, $341 million of which went to high-yield, as investors pull back on reinvesting to pay tax bills with the May 17 tax filing deadline looming.
By Lynne FunkMay 6 -
Pennsylvania's competitive GO deal saw its yields fall further from recent trading while the North Texas Tollway Authority benefited from positive credit news on the transportation sector and repriced 25 basis points lower. ICI reported another round of $2-billion-plus inflows.
By Lynne FunkMay 5 -
The municipal market largely ignored the FOMC news that it would hold rates steady. New Jersey was 20 times oversubscribed and ICI reported $2.5 billion of inflows into long-term municipal bond mutual funds.
April 28 -
Data released Tuesday show an improving economy, which continues to stoke fears of impending inflation. Muni investors await New Jersey's $1.57 billion transportation deal.
April 27 -
After swallowing nearly $10 billion of new supply on the week, the market was quiet Friday ahead of the $5.5 billion calendar coming up.
April 23 -
High-grade scales were little changed as ICI reports the sixth week in a row of inflows to the tune of $2.29 billion into municipal bond mutual funds.
April 21 -
The municipal market was steady Monday as the investors gear up for three separate billion-dollar deals heading to market from California, New York, and Connecticut issuers.
April 19 -
Four out of the six economic indicators released on Thursday surpassed expectations, with consumers tapping their savings to quench pent-up demand. U.S. Treasuries made gains but municipals stood on their own in an impressive two-day rally with insatiable demand.
April 15