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Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy

Strategy Overview
The Municipal Total Return Strategy is an actively managed portfolio that primarily invests in investment grade, intermediate municipal bonds, as well as shares of a completion fund1 managed by Thornburg. The completion fund provides access to securities across the credit and maturity spectrum that are difficult, or not feasible, to include in a separately managed account. The strategy seeks to provide tax-exempt income and total return.
Strategy Inception Date
1 Sep 2023

Portfolio Managers

Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Overview

Overview

Why Invest in This Strategy?

  • Over 40 years of experience managing municipal portfolios for institutions and individuals.
  • Proven bottom-up fundamental approach that incorporates a top-down macroeconomic overlay to identify what we perceive to be the most attractive opportunities on a relative value basis across geographic regions, sectors, issuers and revenue streams.
  • Relative value philosophy that seeks to maximize tax-exempt income and provide capital appreciation in its share value. The strategy focuses on identifying attractive value across the municipal bond market. We apply a strict discipline of fundamental credit research and strive to produce an attractive dividend while avoiding the securities that are the most vulnerable to large market swings.
Performance

Performance

Returns

(As of 31 Dec 2024)
YTD
1y
Inception
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Gross (%)
2.99
2.99
5.35
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Net (%)
2.75
2.75
5.11
ICE BofA U.S. Municipal Securities Index (%)
1.62
1.62
4.67
YTD
1y
Inception
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Gross (%)
1.71
4.33
5.94
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Net (%)
1.66
4.05
5.68
ICE BofA U.S. Municipal Securities Index (%)
1.27
3.13
5.02
2024
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Gross (%)
2.99
Thornburg Municipal Total Return Strategy - Net (%)
2.75
ICE BofA U.S. Municipal Securities Index (%)
1.62
Strategy Facts

Strategy Facts

(As of 28 Feb 2025)
Strategy Assets
$15.4 M
Benchmark
ICE BofA U.S. Municipal Securities Index
Number of Holdings
78
Characteristics

Characteristics

Portfolio

(As of 28 Feb 2025)
Portfolio
Benchmark
Effective Duration
5.6 Yrs
6.9 Yrs
Average Effective Maturity
9.9 Yrs
14.3 Yrs
Weighted Average Coupon
4.6%
4.5%
Portfolio
Benchmark
Subject to Alternative Minimum Tax
8.4%
Weighted Average Price
$104.70
Portfolio

Portfolio

Top Holdings

(As of 31 Jan 2025)
Name
Ticker/Symbol
Weight %
Maine Health & Higher Educational Facilities Authority
56042SBS8
5.6
City of Houston TX Airport System Revenue
442349GT7
5.5
Colorado Health Facilities Authority
19648FKD5
5.4
Corpus Christi Independent School District
220148BM1
5.2
Illinois Housing Development Authority
45203LDY6
5.1
Cumberland Valley School District
230822TV0
5.0
Main Street Natural Gas, Inc.
56035DFQ0
4.8
County of Utah UT
917393DF4
4.8
New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority
64719HEM8
4.7
City of Port Arthur TX
733488X96
4.1
Exposure Breakdown

Exposure Breakdown

(As of 28 Feb 2025)
Sector Allocation
Portfolio (%)
Benchmark (%)

Portfolio

Benchmark

0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Multi Family Mortgage
14.2
2.3
Hospital
11.0
9.7
Other Revenue
11.0
School District General Obligation
10.1
Industrial Development/Pollution Control
9.0
Airport
6.5
5.1
Single Family Mortgage
5.8
1.7
Local General Obligation
5.6
11.5
Gas
5.6
Appropriation
3.6
3.3
Lifecare
2.8
Charter School
2.8
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Public Power
2.7
5.5
Student Housing
1.6
Student Loan
1.0
State General Obligation
1.0
12.2
Prepaid Utility
0.9
Higher Education
0.9
Incremental Tax
0.7
Toll Road
0.5
5.1
Sector Allocation
Portfolio (%)
Multi Family Mortgage
14.2
Hospital
11.0
Other Revenue
11.0
School District General Obligation
10.1
Industrial Development/Pollution Control
9.0
Airport
6.5
Single Family Mortgage
5.8
Local General Obligation
5.6
Gas
5.6
Appropriation
3.6
Lifecare
2.8
Charter School
2.8
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Public Power
2.7
Student Housing
1.6
Student Loan
1.0
State General Obligation
1.0
Prepaid Utility
0.9
Higher Education
0.9
Incremental Tax
0.7
Toll Road
0.5
Top 10 U.S. States
Portfolio (%)
Benchmark (%)

Portfolio

Benchmark

0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Texas
16.9
9.0
New Mexico
10.1
0.2
Georgia
6.4
2.8
Utah
6.3
0.7
Pennsylvania
6.3
3.7
Illinois
6.1
4.5
Maine
5.6
0.1
Colorado
5.3
2.2
Alabama
5.1
2.1
RI
3.6
0.1
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Top 10 U.S. States
Portfolio (%)
Texas
16.9
New Mexico
10.1
Georgia
6.4
Utah
6.3
Pennsylvania
6.3
Illinois
6.1
Maine
5.6
Colorado
5.3
Alabama
5.1
RI
3.6
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Credit Quality
Portfolio (%)
Benchmark (%)

Portfolio

Benchmark

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
AAA
24.4
14.8
AA
35.6
54.6
A
22.8
24.4
BBB
8.9
6.3
Below Invest. Grade
0.4
Not Rated
5.3
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Credit Quality
Portfolio (%)
AAA
24.4
AA
35.6
A
22.8
BBB
8.9
Below Invest. Grade
0.4
Not Rated
5.3
Cash & Cash Equivalents
2.7
Maturity
Portfolio (%)
Benchmark (%)

Portfolio

Benchmark

0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Year 1
13.8
Year 2
9.1
6.0
Year 3
8.0
5.0
Year 4
7.6
5.0
Year 5
3.0
5.0
Year 6
1.8
4.3
Year 7
4.4
4.3
Year 8
18.1
4.8
Year 9
18.2
3.7
Year 10+
13.3
60.4
Cash
2.7
Maturity
Portfolio (%)
Year 1
13.8
Year 2
9.1
Year 3
8.0
Year 4
7.6
Year 5
3.0
Year 6
1.8
Year 7
4.4
Year 8
18.1
Year 9
18.2
Year 10+
13.3
Cash
2.7
Portfolio managers

Portfolio managers

David Ashley, CFA

David Ashley, CFA

Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
David Ashley is portfolio manager for Thornburg Investment Management. He joined Thornburg as associate portfolio manager in 2011 and was named portfolio manager in 2019. Dave earned a BS in finance and MBA from the University of Delaware in 2001. He is also a CFA charterholder. Prior to joining Thornburg Investment Management, Dave was a credit analyst for Wilmington Trust…
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John Bonnell, CFA

John Bonnell, CFA

Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
John Bonnell, CFA, is portfolio manager and managing director for Thornburg Investment Management. He joined Thornburg’s municipal team in 2021. John has over 30 years of municipal bond investing experience. He spent 25 years of his career at USAA where he was most recently a senior portfolio manager and, in 2010, took on responsibility for co-leading municipal bond strategies. Earlier…
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Eve Lando, JD

Eve Lando, JD

Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Eve Lando is portfolio manager for Thornburg Investment Management. She joined Thornburg's municipal team in 2019 as associate portfolio manager and was named portfolio manager in 2020. Eve holds a BA in urban studies from Columbia University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School, with a concentration in business law studies. She has extensive experience in municipal bond research and…
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Craig Mauermann, ChFC

Craig Mauermann, ChFC

Portfolio Manager and Managing Director
Craig Mauermann, ChFC, is portfolio manager for Thornburg Investment Management. He joined the firm in 2021 as a senior fixed income analyst and was promoted to associate portfolio manager in 2024 and was named portfolio manager in 2025. Craig has extensive municipal research and investment experience. He began his career at Strong Capital Management as an analyst and trader and…
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Portfolio managers are supported by the entire Thornburg investment team.

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