Washington

Investors pulled more from municipal bond mutual funds in the final reporting week of 2024, but high-yield reverted to inflows to close out the year, adding to the sector's outperformance overall.

Although a new administration means policy uncertainty, most analysts see the economy growing above trend next year, although inflation will remain a concern.

The IRS finalized tax code regulations that date back to the financial crisis of 2008 that govern the retirement and re-issuance of tax exempt bonds by state and local governments.

While municipals have outperformed USTs on the whole in 2024, they will close December with losses. How taxables perform in early 2025 coupled with macroeconomic and Washington policy uncertainty have municipal market participants on edge for what lies ahead.

The debate over the debt limit has exposed rifts among Republicans, who will take full control of Congress on Friday.

President-elect Trump and Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser renew relations as the city braces for the inauguration, and a stadium site transfer from federal control which could spur a floodgate of bond issuance.

The resolution marks the end of a yearslong lawsuit.

The public finance community remembers President Jimmy Carter's pivotal roles in the near bankruptcy of New York City, deregulation of the transportation industry, and his contributions to state and local governments.

The new Congress will have a full plate including deciding the fate of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and Internal Revenue Service funding in a legislature that's already showing cracks of disagreement.

The Federal Open Market Committee cut the fed funds target again in December but signaled fewer cuts in 2025. There was some dissent. The markets are watching to see if the Federal Reserve pauses its easing cycle in January. Join us at noon, Eastern, on Jan. 30 as Brian Rehling, head of global fixed-income strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, recaps and parses the previous day's FOMC meeting and Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference.