Munis Show Losses as Treasuries Weaken

The municipal market showed losses Tuesday for the first time in more than a week, as Treasuries weakened, in light to moderate secondary trading.

Traders said tax-exempt yields were lower by about two basis points overall.

“I wouldn’t call it substantially any weaker by any stretch, but there did appear to be a weaker tone today,” a trader in San Francisco said. “We weakened probably two or three basis points in line with Treasuries. There was some decent activity in the secondary, though still on the lighter side.”

The Municipal Market Data triple-A 10-year scale climbed three basis points to 3.34%, the 20-year scale increased one basis point to 4.57%, and the scale for 30-year bonds rose one basis point to 4.79%.

In the daily MMD commentary, ­Randy Smolik wrote: “The trend to weaker taxable prices brought a halt to an over one-week old rally in munis.”

He said sell pressure remained controlled.

“There was no evidence of forced selling,” Smolik wrote. “Although sellers were more flexible on offerings, the adjustments seemed slight, and secondary offerings tended to be modest to light.”

Tuesday’s triple-A muni scale in 10 years was at 96.8% of comparable Treasuries and 30-year munis were at 103.7% according to MMD. Meanwhile, 30-year tax-exempt triple-A general obligation bonds were at 109.6% of the comparable London Interbank Offered Rate.

Treasuries showed some losses Tuesday. The benchmark 10-year note was quoted near the end of the session at 3.45% after opening at 3.37%. The 30-year bond was quoted near the end of the session at 4.62% after opening at 4.57%. The two-year note was quoted near the end of the session at 0.62% after opening at 0.56%.

In Tuesday’s new-issue market, Goldman, Sachs & Co. priced for retail investors $775 million of future tax secured bonds for the New York City Transitional Finance Authority. The retail order period began Monday and extends through Tuesday before institutional pricing Wednesday.

The bonds mature from 2013 through 2031, with a term bond in 2035. Yields range from 0.82% with a 2.5% coupon in 2013 to 5.15% with a 5.125% coupon in 2035.

Bonds maturing in 2022, 2024, 2025, and from 2027 through 2030 were not offered to retail investors.

The bonds, which are callable at par in 2021, are rated Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AAA by both Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Ratings.

Barclays Capital priced $335.8 million of GO bonds for the University of Minnesota Regents.

The bonds mature from 2011 through 2031, with a term bond in 2036. Yields range from 0.75%, with a 4% coupon in 2012, to 5.00% priced at par in 2036.

The bonds, which are callable at par in 2020, are rated Aa1 by Moody’s and AA by Standard & Poor’s.

Barclays priced $182.2 million of hospital revenue bonds for Lucas County, Ohio.

The bonds mature from 2015 through 2023, with term bonds in 2037 and a split term maturity in 2041. Yields range from 2.87% with a 3% coupon in 2015 to 6.22% with a 6% coupon in 2041.

The bonds, which are callable at par in 2021, are rated Aa3 by Moody’s and AA-minus by Standard & Poor’s.

Barclays Capital priced $70 million of revenue bonds for the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority.

The bonds mature in 2037, yielding 2.70% priced at par. The bonds, which are not callable, are rated A2 by Moody’s.

Wells Fargo Securities priced $53.5 million of revenue bonds for Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Higher Education Building Authority.

The bonds mature from 2013 through 2031, with yields ranging from 1.72% with a 3% coupon in 2013 to 5.65% with a 5.5% coupon in 2031.

The bonds, which are callable at par in 2021, are rated A2 by Moody’s and A-minus by Standard & Poor’s.

Trades reported by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board showed some losses Tuesday.

A dealer sold to a customer Golden State Tobacco Securitization Corp. 5.75s of 2047 at 9.15%, up two basis points from where they were sold Monday. A dealer bought from a customer taxable New York City Housing Development Corp. 6.42s of 2039 at 6.77%, one basis point higher than where they traded Monday.

Bonds from an interdealer trade of taxable Illinois 5.1s of 2033 yielded 8.04%, one basis point higher than where they traded Monday. A dealer sold to a customer insured New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority 5s of 2027 at 5.34%, up one basis point from where they were sold Monday.

A dealer sold to a customer New York State 5s of 2027 at 4.85%, one basis point higher than where they were sold Monday. A dealer sold to a customer Texas 5s of 2029 at 4.24%, up two basis points from where they were sold Monday.

Bonds from an interdealer trade of Washington State 5s of 2025 yielded 4.83%, up one basis point from where they traded Monday. Bonds from an interdealer trade of taxable California Build America Bond 7.55s of 2039 yielded 7.48%, two basis points higher than where they were sold Monday.

A dealer bought from a customer Nebraska Public Power District 5s of 2023 at 4.44%, one basis point higher than where they were sold Monday. A dealer sold to a customer Maine Municipal Bond Bank 5s of 2024 at 4.19%, up one basis point from where they were sold Monday.

A dealer sold to a customer taxable Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 5.647s of 2040 at 6.10%, one basis point higher than where they were sold Monday.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM BOND BUYER