JPMorgan Municipal ETF

JMUB

Market cap $7.35B

For financial advisors, tax season should not be the only time to talk to clients about municipal bonds. However, with April 15 arriving this week, the timing is ideal to examine how muni bond ETFs are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of fixed-income allocations in 2026.

For investors in taxable accounts, muni bonds are a particularly interesting investment choice. These securities are generally high-quality, low-risk investments and offer tax-advantaged dividends, exempt from federal income taxes. JMUB is a large, quality muni bond ETF with a tax-advantaged 3.6% yield. Performance has been good since inception, and that's without considering its tax advantages.

When retirees face higher tax brackets from pension income, Social Security, and portfolio withdrawals, every percentage point of yield eaten by taxes matters.

JPMorgan Municipal ETF (JMUB) is not recommended due to its conservative strategy, prioritizing high credit quality and short-to-intermediate tenor over income. JMUB's low risk profile results in a trailing yield of 3.2%, with minimal credit and interest rate risk but limited upside. The fund holds approximately 1,750 positions, mirroring index-like diversification but sacrificing higher income potential for safety.

Despite the availability of thousands of different exchange-traded funds (ETFs), many investors focus on a relatively small number of popular options. While there is nothing wrong with a broad-based S&P 500 fund or a targeted Nasdaq-100 fund—and indeed these ETFs often provide some of the most robust returns when the broader stock world is thriving—there are opportunities for more adventurous investors to find alternatives that can provide compelling momentum, strong dividends, and value.

The muni bond ETF world shook this morning with news that J.P. Morgan Asset Management (JPMAM) has merged a key muni bond fund into an existing muni bond ETF.

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.

A new year means a new opportunity to refresh portfolios, all the way down to core allocations. For many investors, core allocations means finding a simple, passive fund.

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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.