

Municipal bonds, or munis, had a rough start to 2026, but they have since bounced back. A Tuesday webcast sponsored by SS&C ALPS Advisors offered advisors a detailed look at why that recovery matters.

Elevated geopolitical tensions and policy uncertainty are creating higher cross-asset volatility in 2026, driving sharp market rotations that expose concentration risks in traditional portfolios, according to ALPS Q2 2026 Market Themes to Watch. Key Takeaways: EQL attracted $65.52 million year-to-date, with equal sector weighting reducing concentration risk.

The Ides of March came calling for municipal bonds. State- and city-issued debt joined gold and consumer staples stocks as asset classes that betrayed their safe-haven reputations in March.

ALPS Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MNBD - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 55,099 shares, an increase of 139.1% from the February 12th total of 23,047 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume,

Another stoking of geopolitical tensions could easily compel market participants to reduce portfolio risk over the near-term. Such moves could put fresh focus on conservative asset classes, including municipal bonds.

For what municipal bonds lack in terms of exciting return profiles, the asset class makes up for with other advantages. Those include low volatility, reliable income and a variety of tax advantages that make these bonds appealing to retirees and high-net-worth investors.

ALPS Intermediate Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MNBD - Get Free Report)'s share price rose 0.2% during mid-day trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $26.20 and last traded at $26.20. Approximately 1,894 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 9,913 shares. The stock had previously

For a portion of 2025, municipal bonds scuffled amid concerns about the state of the U.S. economy, a spate of new issuances and lack of clarity from the Federal Reserve on interest rates. Skeptics may assert those issues haven't been fully resolved.
SEC filings for MNBD aren't indexed yet — common for recently launched funds. Browse the issuer's filings on SEC EDGAR directly.