Opinion News from Bond Buyer

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton says overreliance on financial ratios can obscure forward-looking credit risks, making qualitative factors such as political willingness, management strategy, cyber-threat preparedness, legal security and economic and policy change essential to muni decision-making.

Although the proposal ultimately didn't become law, that disconnect created an attractive entry point for investors because prices reflected tax policy fears — not deteriorating municipal credit.

The AI can work overnight. It can absorb administrative volume. But it cannot sit at the council table.

Volume-cap allocations can reveal which projects will gain access to tax-exempt financing and which may be crowded out, making private-activity bond rules a practical signal for issuers, advisors and investors, according to Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton says cyber preparedness has become a key credit signal for muni investors, with issuer readiness potentially affecting borrowing costs, liquidity, capital market access and confidence in timely debt service.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton breaks down why munis became the fixed-income standout in 1H 2026, as tax-exempt income, SMA demand, healthy supply-demand dynamics, curve positioning, active security selection and spread compression offset geopolitical volatility and shifting Fed expectations.

Treat AI like the best junior analyst you have ever hired, and manage it like one.

The first tobacco bond payment default raises the prospect of additional isolated failures, but not a systemic sector collapse, according to Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton, highlighting how vintage, lien, turbo and reserve features can produce sharply different cash flow and liquidity outcomes.

The modern bond market is no longer defined by dealers and asset managers alone.

The AI data center boom will test communities' power, water and infrastructure capacity, requiring public finance professionals to determine who bears the costs and how private investment can produce lasting public benefit.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton explains why constrained state budgets should not be mistaken for broad credit deterioration, pointing to rainy-day funds, revenue diversity, low debt burdens and strong debt-service protections as key stabilizers.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton breaks down how security selection, sector allocation, curve positioning and carry can generate excess returns in high-yield munis, while warning that weak cash flow, a lack of economic viability, limited liquidity and thin disclosure can quickly undermine value.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton maps where credit remains stable and where caution is warranted in his mid-year scorecard, flagging pressure points in higher education, K-12, tobacco and parts of local government while outlining the structural strengths supporting states, airports and other essential-service sectors.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton explains how California Mello-Roos land-secured bonds can add yield and diversification, and outlines the underwriting checklist investors should use to balance development risk against structural protections.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton recaps May's muni outperformance versus Treasuries and broad fixed income, highlighting how carry, reinvestment demand and spread compression drove strong returns and helped A3 and Baa credits lead the market.

Blockchain-based tokenization could modernize muni market infrastructure by compressing settlement timelines, automating coupon and redemption workflows, and creating a shared, immutable ownership and compliance record.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton notes that coupon selection is often a strategy decision, not a price preference, and explains why premium coupons can help mitigate adverse price moves while giving investors flexibility through higher ongoing tax-free income.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton explains why energy prepays have become a popular SMA allocation for yield and diversification, while warning that financial institution counterparty concerns and "guilt-by-association" bank headlines can still trigger episodic spread widening.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton explains why proposals targeting wealth, property, and income taxes matter for municipal credit, and outlines what investors should watch in revenue replacement capacity, reserves, political willingness, and legal security structures.

Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton distinguishes impairment from default in unenhanced conduit multifamily credits and explains how occupancy declines, covenant breaches and reserve draws can trigger severe price discovery long before a payment miss occurs.