Fixed Income
Patience pays off as munis harvest returns
- Municipals are well-positioned, supported by a favorable macro backdrop, resilient fundamentals, and seasonal tailwinds.
- Attractive valuations and curve steepness offer compelling opportunities for tax-efficient, income-oriented investors, in our view.
- State credit strength endures, with broad-based revenue growth, disciplined fiscal management, and historically low debt burdens.
Source: Bloomberg Indices, BlackRock, as of 12/31/24.
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Patrick Haskell
Head of Municipal Bonds
Patrick Haskell, Managing Director, Head of the Municipal Bond Group within the Portfolio Management Group (PMG) as well as Global Head of Financial Institutions Group Investments Business.
Sean Carney
CIO of Municipal Bond Funds
Sean Carney, Managing Director and Head of the Municipal Strategy team within BlackRock's Municipal Fixed Income business in BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group.
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Performance data quoted represents past performance and is no guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal values may fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. Current performance may be lower or higher than that shown. Refer to blackrock.com for most recent month-end performance.
To obtain more information on the funds, including the Morningstar time period ratings and standardized average annual total returns as of the most recent calendar quarter and current month-end, please visit National Municipal Fund and High Yield Municipal Fund.
The Morningstar RatingTM for funds, or "star rating," is calculated for managed products (including mutual funds, variable annuity and variable life subaccounts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and separate accounts) with at least a three-year history. Exchange-traded funds and open-ended mutual funds are considered a single population for comparative purposes. It is calculated based on a Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return measure that accounts for variation in a managed product's monthly excess performance, placing more emphasis on downward variations and rewarding consistent performance. The top 10% of products in each product category receive 5 stars, the next 22.5% receive 4 stars, the next 35% receive 3 stars, the next 22.5% receive 2 stars, and the bottom 10% receive 1 star. The Overall Morningstar Rating for a managed product is derived from a weighted average of the performance figures associated with its three-, five-, and 10-year (if applicable) Morningstar Rating metrics. The weights are: 100% three-year rating for 36-59 months of total returns, 60% five-year rating/40% three-year rating for 60-119 months of total returns, and 50% 10-year rating/30% five-year rating/20% three-year rating for 120 or more months of total returns. While the 10-year overall star rating formula seems to give the most weight to the 10-year period, the most recent three-year period actually has the greatest impact because it is included in all three rating periods.
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You should consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus or shareholder report, as applicable, which may be obtained by visiting the BlackRock Fund Prospectuses & Shareholder Reports webpage, calling 800-882-0052 or from your financial professional. Read the Fund's prospectus or shareholder report, as applicable, carefully before investing.
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Fixed income risks include interest-rate and credit risk. Typically, when interest rates rise, there is a corresponding decline in bond values. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the bond issuer will not be able to make principal and interest payments. Non-investment-grade debt securities (high-yield/junk bonds) may be subject to greater market fluctuations, risk of default or loss of income and principal than higher-rated securities. Principal of mortgage- or asset-backed securities normally may be prepaid at any time, reducing the yield and market value of those securities. Obligations of US govt. agencies are supported by varying degrees of credit but generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the US govt. Securities with floating or variable interest rates may decline in value if their coupon rates do not keep pace with comparable market interest rates. The Fund’s income may decline when interest rates fall because most of the debt instruments held by the Fund will have floating or variable rates.
Mortgage-backed securities ("MBS") and commercial mortgage-backed securities ("CMBS") are subject to prepayment and extension risk and therefore react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds. Small movements in interest rates may quickly and significantly reduce the value of certain mortgage-backed securities.
Collateralized Debt Obligations ("CDOs") carry additional risks including, but not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the risk that the collateral may default or decline in value or be downgraded, if rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization; (iii) the Fund may invest in tranches of CDOs that are subordinate to other tranches; (iv) the lack of a readily available secondary market for CDOs.
There may be less information on the financial condition of municipal issuers than for public corporations. The market for municipal bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. Some investors may be subject to federal or state income taxes or the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). Capital gains distributions, if any, are taxable.
A portion of the income may be taxable.
Index performance is for illustrative purposes only. Index performance does not reflect any management fees, or expenses. Indexes are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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The opinions expressed are as of Oct 16, 2025, and may change as subsequent conditions vary.
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