New York — The disruption in the municipal bond market is punishing some of the most loyal buyers of the debt. The insurance industry has seen more than $5bn of gains erased on state and local bonds after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential race, with American International Group and Travelers among the hardest-hit companies. While the yield on state and local debt is typically exempt from federal taxes, that advantage would be diminished if Trump follows through on plans to lower the levy on all corporate profits. Beyond that, investors are concerned that an overhaul of federal laws could end the favourable treatment on so-called munis. There were "just crazy amounts of ‘What ifs?’ at this time", said Peter Block, managing director for credit strategy at Ramirez & Co, a New York-based underwriter. Beyond that, he said, the stock rally led to a shift in allocation as some traditional muni investors "saw that equities were just on a tear, and they wanted a part of that". Trave...
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