Markets

"With its third straight rate cut, the Fed is sending a clear message: it's no longer just watching inflation — it's managing risk," said Gina Bolvin, president of Bolvin Wealth Management Group.

The bonds are to be used for a variety of projects aimed at recovering from multiple natural disasters that struck Lake Charles in 2020 and 2021.

Muni yields were little changed, and have barely moved over the past several trading sessions, said Kim Olsan, senior fixed income portfolio manager at NewSquare.

AllianceBernstein hired four municipal credit special situations analysts based in its Dallas office.

Municipal bond supply projections for next year range from a high of $750-plus billion to a low of $520 billion, with most firms expecting issuance to hover around $600 billion, easily surpassing 2025's record.

Omaha Public Power District will go to market the week of Jan. 5 with about $164 million of Series 2026A separate electric system revenue refunding bonds.

While muni returns moved lower last week, year-to-date returns still hover around 4%, said Jason Wong, vice president of municipals at AmeriVet Securities.

Concerns about Brightline have dragged down performance in the high yield sector this year.

Issuers mostly avoided pricing deals in the previous weeks the Fed met this year, but that's not the case this week, said Pat Luby, head of municipal strategy at CreditSights, and Wilson Lees, an analyst at the firm.

States face broadening credit challenges, and while local governments have shown resilience, school districts are more at risk, S&P Global Ratings said.