Mutual funds

The slowdown of growth in the fourth quarter does not imply there is dwindling demand for munis, said Pat Luby, head of municipal strategy at CreditSights.

While UST yields rose up to five basis points out long Thursday, the current rally "that has taken the 30-year UST closer to where the 10-year yield traded a week ago has not impacted the same range in munis," said Kim Olsan, senior fixed income portfolio manager at NewSquare.

Investors added $546.3 million to municipal bond mutual funds in the week ending Wednesday, following $238.5 million of inflows the prior week, according to LSEG Lipper data.

Investors added $238.5 million to municipal bond mutual funds in the week ending Wednesday, following $1.124 billion of inflows the prior week, according to LSEG Lipper data.

Muni yields were bumped one to eight basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields fell three to 10 basis points, with the greatest gains out long.

Investors added $2.028 billion to municipal bond mutual funds in the week ending Wednesday, following $251.7 million of outflows the prior week, according to LSEG Lipper data.

Issuance was led by a $2 billion retail pricing from the University of California in the negotiated market and a $1.2 billion competitive deal from Washington.

There are eight municipal bond interval funds, three of which launched last year, promising fewer liquidity constraints and the potential for higher returns.

Munis "responded in part to a better UST session [Wednesday] but weren't in a position from a supply standpoint to attempt to match the 10-15 basis point rally in taxables," said Kim Olsan, a senior fixed income portfolio manager at NewSquare Capital.

The muni market also faces an elevated new-issue calendar, which may put additional pressure on muni yields. Bond Buyer 30-day visible supply sits at $17.57 billion.