Fixed Income ETF Liquidity: The Nonstory

Amidst the turmoil of the post-election bond market—with rates rising, trade volumes surging and reduced dealer support of the over-the-counter bond market, how did the market for fixed-income ETFs do?

One of the most interesting takeaways from the data is that there is no story here. In spite of all the concerns about the lack of liquidity in the fixed-income markets, the market for fixed-income ETFs appears to have functioned smoothly throughout the recent volatility.

Using a few of the largest taxable bond ETFs and municipal bond ETFs as proxies for the universe of fixed-income ETFs shows that trading volumes rose across the board—in the over-the-counter market for bonds as well as in the listed market for fixed-income ETFs. Of particular interest was the Friday after the election, which was Veterans Day—one of the few market holidays when stocks are open but bonds are closed. Note that the trade volumes for the ETFs that day were higher than the pre-election averages.

While fixed-income ETFs remain subject to all of the usual sources of bond market risk, including credit and interest rate (or duration) risk, as can be seen from the activity on Veterans Day, access to exchange-traded liquidity is a major benefit of supplementing a bond portfolio with fixed-income ETFs.

Investors looking for guidance on how to select a fixed-income ETF may want to start by reading this article about muni ETFs that has some insights relevant to other fixed-income ETFs. The ETF.com Fixed Income channel also has helpful resources.

ETFs highlighted in the article. Data from FactSet Research Systems via ETF.com. 

Patrick Luby is a municipal bond market and portfolio strategy specialist and the author of www.IncomeInvestorPerspectives.com. At the time of writing, the author held none of the securities referenced. This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any of the securities or strategies mentioned. The author does not provide investment, tax, legal or accounting advice. Investors should consult with their own advisor and fully understand their own situation when considering changes to their strategy, tactics or individual investments. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Additional information is available upon request.