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Muni bond ETFs may shine in 2026 as attractive yields, solid credit quality and easing policy risks boost investor appeal.
NEW YORK, March 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- J.P. Morgan Asset Management today announced the upcoming exchange listing transfer of 14 ETFs from their current exchanges including the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC, NYSE Arca, Inc., and Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. As of the exchange opening on April 16, 2026, the listing exchange for each fund will be changed per the following.
JPMorgan Ultra-Short Municipal Income ETF is an active ETF focusing on short-term muni bonds. It has a tax-advantaged 2.0% yield to maturity. Income is quite low, even after accounting for potential tax advantages. JMST compares unfavorably to several of its peers on most important metrics too. It's a weak fund with a weak investment thesis.
JMST offers low-risk, tax-free income from short-term investment-grade municipal bonds, but yields are notably lower than alternatives. The fund's construction is sound—minimizing interest rate and credit risk—yet its conservative approach results in underwhelming returns. Other short-term muni funds, like SHYM, achieve higher yields by including unrated bonds, which historically have low default rates.
Tariff mayhem continues to cause volatility in markets as investors attempt to make sense of continuous changes. In a tumultuous environment, investors increasingly turned to actively managed bond ETFs this year according to JPMAM research.
JMST is an actively managed ETF focusing on short-term and variable-rate municipal bonds. It is slightly riskier, and slightly more volatile than t-bills. It has a tax-advantaged 3.3% yield. Income seems weak, even accounting for any potential tax benefits.
Municipal bonds are back to offer compelling risk-adjusted opportunities, but future decisions from Washington can either act as a tailwind or headwind. Municipal bond funds saw net inflows during 2024, first annual inflow since 2021—which was a record year. 2024 was a record year in municipal bond issuance. With attractive yields, the market may start to pay more attention to tax-equivalent yield advantages offered through municipal debt.
Specific to the muni market, perhaps the biggest surprise this year has been new issue supply that is running well ahead of expectations, up roughly 40% from last year. We think this increased summer issuance is likely the result of deals getting pulled forward, as issuers may be cautious about coming to market later in the fall ahead of what is likely to be an uncertain U.S. political climate. While municipal credit quality has already peaked, it is entering this period of moderating economic growth from a position of strength.