Washington

Steve Skancke, chief economic advisor at Keel Point, discusses negative interest rates and what parts of the market would suffer most from their implementation. Gary Siegel hosts.

With the status of federal relief uncertain, Illinois may ask lawmakers for approval to borrow as much as $4.5B through the Fed's MLF to deal with a coronavirus pandemic tax hit in fiscal 2021.

Municipal to U.S. Treasury ratios were attractive, especially on the short end, which drove secondary yields lower.

FOMC members see uncertainty and considerable economic risk from the coronavirus.

More pervasive virus testing and further fiscal stimulus is likely needed to revive consumer confidence and foster growth in the U.S. economy, according to Robert Kaplan, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

The policy case for federal support is strong: in the coronavirus era, the U.S. is looking at an emergency that is the equivalent of 50 states worth of hurricanes, fires and floods, lasting more than two years, with a very slow economic rebound.

In March 2020, spreads skyrocketed to 97 basis points before dropping slightly to 88 basis points in April 2020.

The request for a second municipal lending facility was made in a bipartisan letter sent to the Fed last week by four senators.

The MSRB also said more municipalities have begun referencing CARES Act loans in their disclosures.

With rates near zero, analysts will turn to minutes of the latest FOMC minutes for signs of upcoming economic support.