BNY Mellon Strategic Municipals offers tax-exempt income with appeal for high earners.

BNY Mellon Strategic Municipals offers tax-exempt income with appeal for high earners. The closed-end fund LEO provides an unsubsidized SEC yield of approximately 4.81 percent, which translates to roughly 8.13 percent on a tax-equivalent basis for investors in the highest tax bracket. Current elevated interest rate levels and wider term spreads suggest potential for medium-term mean reversion in performance. However, the fund's leveraged structure amplifies both duration risk and portfolio price fluctuations, resulting in higher return volatility. Credit spreads remain relatively tight despite broader market conditions. LEO receives a buy rating primarily for higher tax bracket investors seeking tax-exempt income with some upside optionality, though investors must accept meaningful duration risk and credit exposure as tradeoffs.