Fixed income

The state of Illinois sold $2 billion of three-year notes to the Federal Reserve's Municipal Liquidity Facility at 3.42%.

Even with COVID-19-related shutdowns — a New York City lockdown may be imminent — issuers are pricing bonds into an extremely low-rate environment.

Strong technicals, low supply, yield-seekers keep munis outperforming.

The primary's diversity of credits and size relative to November has grown, but it is just not enough to push yields higher as redemptions flood the market. Some analysts still say a mild correction at least is due.

Refinitiv Lipper reported inflows of net $201 million for the week ending Dec. 2, down from $386 million the week prior.

Until supply increases, year-end demand has munis outperforming. ICI reports another multi-billion week of inflows.

Munis are likely to lag Treasuries in some fashion once year-end empathy settles in mid-month and ratios become a factor.

A proposed financial transaction tax in aimed at bolstering tax revenues could cost the state Wall Street business, analysts warn.

The U.S. Treasury expanded its plans for the issuance of longer-term debt in coming months, after depending mainly on shorter-dated bills to fund the federal government’s record spending surge to address the COVID-19 crisis.

The rating agency affirmed the U.S. at AAA but said the outlook cut reflects ongoing deterioration in U.S. public finances.