Definition
The term Associated Press Municipal Bond Index refers to a composite that measures the performance of more than 5,200 tax-exempt municipal bonds. The Associated Press Municipal Bond Index provides a benchmark of the current outlook for municipal bonds in the United States.
Explanation
The Associated Press Municipal Bond Index measures the performance of the nearly $4 billion municipal bond market. The index will track the trading of more than 5,200 tax-exempt municipal bonds issued in the United States. Performance of this measure can reveal investor sentiment towards this set of smaller government entities.
The Associated Press (AP) launched this index on August 1, 2016, with Municipal Bond Information Services LLC, a national association of inter-dealer brokers, collaborating on the effort. The AP Municipal Bond Index is the only benchmark based on observable, intraday pre-trade and trade data.