Skip to main content
utility-drawer__close
0
Welcome to Nuveen
Select your preferred site so we can tailor your experience.
Select Region...
  • Americas
  • Asia Pacific
  • Europe, Middle East, Africa
location select
Select Location...
  • Canada
  • Latin America
  • United States
  • Australia
  • Hong Kong
  • Japan
  • Mainland China
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Singapore
  • South Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Other
  • Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Luxembourg
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • United Kingdom
  • Other
location select
Municipal Bonds

Muni minute:

Steadfast munis navigate tax-season volatility

Dan Close
Head of Municipals
Interior of a modern public infrastructure building featuring curved wooden ceiling panels and floor-to-ceiling glass walls
Listen to this insight
~ 5 minutes long

Key takeaways

Market recap

Municipal bonds demonstrated resilience last week despite tax-season outflows, heavy supply, and the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict. The broad tax-exempt index returned 0.11% through Thursday’s close — a solid result, though it trailed other taxable fixed income sectors. High-yield and taxable munis outperformed their tax-exempt counterparts. Outflows of $427 million, driven by tax selling, were concentrated in short- and intermediate-term funds. Municipal supply grew to nearly $17.2 billion, the heaviest issuance calendar of the year. Taxable muni issuance surged to $4.4 billion in the week alone — almost 60% of year-to-date taxable supply. New York City led with a $2.3 billion taxable deal and 2031 bonds priced at 4.47% — 27 bps wide of AA-rated corporates. New York Governor Kathy Hochul proposed a tax on second homes in New York City worth $5 million or more to help address the city’s budget gap.

 

Like what you’re reading?
Sign up for weekly muni insights from Nuveen.

How is supply trending?

$17.2B of new supply hit the market with a whopping $4.4B of taxable muni. This week is expected to bring $12.7B

Market impact: Despite higher supply, the market was able to absorb issuance as both yields and credit spreads were stable.

What do yields look like?

Yields were flat last week trailing treasury which rallied on deescalating Iran Conflict negotiations.

Municipal market yield (%) Current (%) Change (bps) Ratio (%)
5-year 2.53 0 65%
10-year 2.95 0 68%
30-year 4.31 0 87%
Source: MMD, Bloomberg, L.P.; data from 10 Apr 2026–16 Apr 2026.

What are flows doing?

Muni outflows of $427M were concentrated in short strategies as long term and high yield continued to attract assets.

OEFs -$427M
ETFs $199M
Long-term Funds $116M
High Yield Funds $75M
Source: LSEG Lipper, data from 09 Apr 2026–15 Apr 2026.
Longer-maturity municipals have offered meaningfully higher tax-efficient yields.

Download the full report

Related articles

Municipal Bonds State credit quality is strong despite a shifting landscape
State credit quality is at historic highs — but not all states are equal. Discover what strong fundamentals and rigorous analysis mean for municipal bond investors.
Municipal Bonds Muni bonds have been resilient amid uncertainty
Explore Nuveen's Q2 2026 municipal bond outlook. Discover why muni yields, record inflows & steep yield curves signal opportunity.
Municipal Bonds Investing in America It’s not what you earn, it’s what you keep.®
Municipal bonds help finance bridges, schools, hospitals and other projects to improve our communities. Investing in municipal bonds can provide investors with tax-exempt income.

Endnotes

Sources

Performance: Bloomberg, L.P. Issuance: J.P. Morgan, 16 Apr 2026. Fund flows: Lipper.

Any reference to credit ratings refers to the highest rating given by one of the following national rating agencies: S&P, Moody’s or Fitch. Credit ratings are subject to change. AAA, AA, A and BBB are investment grade ratings; BB, B, CCC, CC, C and D are below-investment grade ratings.

This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy, sell or hold a security or investment strategy, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor’s objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her advisors.

Representative indexes: muni bond 5-year: Bloomberg Municipal Bond 5 Year (4–6) Index; muni bond 10-year: Bloomberg Municipal Bond 10 Year (8–12) Index; muni bond 15-year: Bloomberg Municipal Bond 15 Year (12–17) Index; muni long bond: Bloomberg Municipal Long Bond (22+) Index; muni bond 3–15 year blend: Bloomberg Municipal 3–15 year blend (2–17) Index; muni AAA: Bloomberg Municipal AAA Index; muni AA: Bloomberg Municipal AA Index; muni A: Bloomberg Municipal A Index; muni BBB: Bloomberg Municipal BBB Index; municipal bond: Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index; muni high yield: Bloomberg High Yield Municipal Index; U.S. aggregate bond: Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index; U.S. Treasury: Bloomberg U.S. Treasury Index; U.S. government related: Bloomberg U.S. Government-Related Index; U.S. corporate investment grade: Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Index; U.S. high yield corporate: Bloomberg U.S. Corporate High Yield Index.

This material, along with any views and opinions expressed within, are presented for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as changing market, economic, political, or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. There is no promise, representation, or warranty (express or implied) as to the past, future, or current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information, and it should not be relied on as such. This material should not be regarded by the recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment. It is important to review your investment objectives, risk tolerance and liquidity needs before choosing an investment style or manager.

This material may contain “forward-looking” information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections, forecasts, estimates of yields and/or market returns, and proposed or expected portfolio composition. No representation is made that the performance presented will be achieved, or that every assumption made in achieving, calculating or presenting either the forward-looking information or the historical performance information herein has been considered or stated in preparing this material. Any changes to assumptions that may have been made in preparing this material could have a material impact on any of the data and/or information presented herein by way of example. 

For term definitions and index descriptions, please access the glossary on nuveen.com. Please note, it is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Important information on risk

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All investments carry a certain degree of risk, including the possible loss of principal, and there is no assurance that an investment will provide positive performance over any period of time. Certain products and services may not be available to all entities or persons. There is no guarantee that investment objectives will be achieved.

Investing in fixed income investments involves risks such as market risk, credit risk, interest rate/duration risk, call risk, tax risk, political and economic risk, derivatives risk, and income risk. Credit risk refers to an issuers ability to make interest and principal payments when due. Typically, the value of, and income generated by, fixed income investments will decrease, or increase based on changes in market interest rates. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall and as interest rates fall, bond prices rise. Income is only one component of performance and investors should consider all of the risk factors for an asset class before investing.

Investing in municipal bonds involves risks such as market risk, credit risk, interest rate/duration risk, call risk, tax risk, political and economic risk, derivatives risk, and income risk. Credit risk refers to an ability to make interest and principal payments when due. Typically, the value of, and income generated by, muni bonds will decrease, or increase based on changes in market interest rates. As interest rates rise, bond prices fall and as interest rates fall, bond prices rise. Income is only one component of performance and investors should consider all of the risk factors for an asset class before investing. Income is generally exempt from regular federal income tax and may be subject to state and local taxes, based on the investor’s state of residence, as well as to the federal alternative minimum tax (AMT). Capital gains, if any, are subject to tax. Income from municipal bonds could be declared taxable because of unfavorable changes in tax laws, adverse interpretations by the Internal Revenue Service or state tax authorities, or noncompliant conduct of a bond issuer. Please contact a tax professional regarding the suitability of tax-exempt investments as this information should not replace a client’s consultation with a financial/tax professional regarding their tax situation. Nuveen and its investment specialists do not provide tax advice.

Taxable-equivalent yields are based on the highest individual marginal federal tax rate of 37%, plus the 3.8% Medicare tax on investment income. Individual tax rates may vary.

Nuveen, LLC provides investment solutions through its investment specialists.

This information does not constitute investment research as defined under MiFID.

Aerial view of the ocean shore

You are on the site for: Financial Professionals and Individual Investors. You can switch to the site for: Institutional Investors or Global Investors

You are about to access our website for visitors outside of the United States.

You are about to access our website for Nuveen Global Cities REIT

You are leaving the Nuveen website.

You are leaving the Nuveen website and going to the website of the MI 529 Advisor Plan, distributed by Nuveen Securities, LLC.

The Nuveen website for institutional investors is available for you.

You are about to access our website for visitors outside of the United States.

You are about to access our website for Nuveen Churchill Private Capital Income Fund (“NC - PCAP”)

Back to Top