Markets

The municipal bond market is taking it slow when it comes to new issuance as buyers and sellers move cautiously in the shadows of COVID-19.

Banks, asset managers, and other financial institutions need liquidity. This has created an unprecedented buying opportunity, with yields not seen since the financial crisis and then only seen for a short period of time.

Amid the market mayhem and work-from-home requirements, Hilltop Securities is adopting new tools to keep clients current on coping strategies.

Fitch follows Moody's in revising the Empire State's debt to negative from stable.

Moody’s revised its outlook on Illinois’ Baa3 rating to negative from stable; a university study warns of a worst-case $28 billion multi-year revenue hit.

The Fed will help the muni market navigate the short-term pain caused by coronavirus via direct purchases of bonds on the short end. However, the Fed will effectively hand off the responsibility to choose winners and losers to state officials, a move the market generally greeted positively.

Jobless claims declined 261,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 6.87 million, originally reported as 6.65 million.

Christopher Philips, CFA, head of Vanguard Institutional Advisory Services, discusses the importance of asset allocation during uncertain times as the coronavirus hits investors’ portfolios. He talks about looking at the fundamentals while distancing from the day-to-day value fluctuations. John Hallacy hosts this podcast, which was recorded March 20.

The market appears to be moving toward some semblance of normal conditions as the new-issue pricings and moderating bid volume create a more stable tone.

The review by Moody's Investors Service comes as the district is working on new money and refinancing deals.