Municipal bond market experts have different takes on what 2022 will bring, although there’s one constant: demand for the debt issued by state and local governments is likely to remain exceptionally strong.
Malloy believes the federal aid doled out over the past two years in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will keep municipalities “flush with cash” and less likely to sell bonds in 2022. His forecast of $400 billion worth of new issuance would make 2022 one of the leanest years of the past decade. Through November of this year, $432 billion has been issued, according to SIFMA.
One thing is certain: relatively lean supply will continue to support bond prices. Eric Kazatsky, head of municipal strategy for Bloomberg Intelligence, reckons that the market could support $475 billion of issuance.