Insight
Munis: You Thought You Knew Them
Municipal bonds (munis) have outperformed sizable sectors of the investment-grade bond market. That may be news to insurers that reduced their allocation to munis since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed in 2017.
Key takeaways
- With corporate bond spreads around all-time-tight levels, taxable munis are competitive, offering higher quality plus lower default rates, along with diversification benefits.
- Tax-exempt munis have had attractive risk/return characteristics relative to Treasury bonds and competitive total returns—even beyond the tax-exempt income benefit.
- Allspring’s muni bond team focuses on finding the right bond at the right price at the right time, marrying credit research and relative value to identify opportunities.