Do you feel like Superman?
You should.
Individual investors, according to an article in the industry publication The Bond Buyer, stepped in and reversed the course of the muni market just as a locomotive-full of amateurs were in a full-scale sell mode.
The scene began after the Federal Reserve’s June meeting, when Chairman Ben Bernanke offered his comments on the Fed’s bond-buying program. The doomsayers misread the tea leaves and had a field day. A cacophony of commentators adamantly urged investors to sell their bonds.
During three successive trading days after the meeting, a major sell-off ensued, with yields spiking by about 60 basis points, the biggest jump since 1987.
The Bond Buyer reported that behind the market plunge was relentless selling by bond funds, which were experiencing record outflows of more than $50 billion.
And then a funny thing happened
On the fourth day – a Tuesday, the peak of the sell-off – the market suddenly reversed course, with yields falling by almost half a percentage point.
Data shows trading volume soared to record levels. “The ratio of buying vs. selling also spiked, indicating that retail investors swarmed in to purchase munis, following the historic three-day rise in yields.”
“The buy-to-sell ratio reached 4 to 1 at the market turn in conjunction with the record volume, more than double the typical pattern.”
Turns out, individual bond buyers saw an opportunity and pounced.
As noted, in the midst of the turbulence, in a full-page message we placed in The Wall Street Journal and other major newspapers across the country, “What it Means When the Chickens Cluck,” successful bond investors are accustomed to hearing the cries of fear mongers – and then profiting from them.
They’re not glued to their daily market values. They know, the up and down nature of prices has little relevance. Their comfort comes from the fact that their bonds have a maturity date and they will earn a dependable, steady stream of tax-free income along the way.
Our clients don’t possess the megaphone of the talking heads, but fortunately, common sense and astute judgment are a lot more powerful.