by Aptus PM Team | Aug 25, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
We wanted to put together a note to discuss the recent underperformance of municipal bonds relative to their taxable brethren (MUB vs AGG, shown below). Tax-free bonds have faced a number of headwinds throughout 2025, and even with the decline in interest rates, they...
by Aptus PM Team | Aug 22, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
Fed Chairman Jay Powell finally delivered his long-anticipated address to leading economists and academics. A few quotes that caught our attention, not to mention the market’s attention: “In the near term, risks to inflation are tilted to the upside, and risks...
by Aptus PM Team | Aug 15, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
Headline CPI rose 0.20% in July, in line with economists’ expectations. The YoY rate was unchanged at 2.7%. After two warmer months, food prices inched up just 0.05%. Energy prices were also cooler in July, declining -1.1% on a -2.0% drop in motor fuel CPI and lower...
by Aptus PM Team | Jul 31, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
The Fed left rates unchanged for its 5th straight meeting — keeping the fed funds range 4.25%-4.5% which was widely expected. Governors Miki Bowman and Chris Waller dissented in favor of a 0.25% cut. It was the first double-dissent by governors since 1993. ...
by Aptus PM Team | Jul 18, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
Core CPI came in softer than expected for the 5th straight month: 0.2%, month over month (MoM) and 2.9% year over year (YoY). The YoY number did tick up slightly given the low comp rolling off from last year (monthly numbers shown on graphic below). ...
by Aptus PM Team | Jun 20, 2025 | Blog, Bonds
As expected, the Fed opted to hold interest rates steady for the fourth consecutive meeting in a range of 4.25% to 4.50%. The latest Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) shows an expectation for higher inflation and slower growth, resulting in no change to the median...
