James Ramage

Slight activity in the municipal market during the holiday week left tax-exempt yields mostly unchanged since last Friday, but accounted for mostly lower indexes.

Traders took a varied view of the municipal market Thursday. While some secondary market traders reported a decent amount of activity in the intermediate part of the muni yield curve throughout the day's session, others said they heard little more than crickets over the span.

Moderate trading in the secondary market continues to characterize an otherwise quiet session for the municipal market Thursday.

The municipal market faces another day of modest trading and trace elements of issuance reaching the primary. In the secondary, though, there is activity in the intermediate part of the yield curve.

Dealers hot to unload heavy inventory made concessions Monday, lending the municipal market a weaker tone and pushing yields higher.

The municipal market crossed noon on Monday with a decidedly weaker tone. Tax-exempt yields are rising faster than those of Treasuries as traders look to unload inventory or replace losses.

The municipal market started the week with a weaker tone, picking up right where it left off last week. Yields appear around five basis points higher beyond the front end of the curve, traders say. Fear and uncertainty, in addition to the looming holidays, are hammering the market.

After two hefty weeks, issuance in the municipal bond market should enter its holiday period and ride out the rest of the year.

The municipal market slogged through a long week of sell-offs as too much supply flooded into it all at once, prompting increases in muni bond indexes.

Investors sent money to municipal bond mutual funds for a sixth consecutive week, though at a decreased pace.

Although muni issuers have more options available in the tax-exempt and taxable parts of the market and more products to tap the short-end, challenges await in 2013 and beyond, panelists at The Bond Buyer's third annual 501(c)3 Conference told attendees Wednesday.

Representatives from a rating agency and the investment community weighed in on the dramatic changes affecting the higher education business model at The Bond Buyer 501(c)3 conference.

Howard "Howie" Burstein, a 50-year veteran in the muni bond industry who outlasted many of the firms at which he worked, died late last month. He was 71.

December issuance sticks to form as the muni bond market should expect a hefty calendar this week, to the tune of an anticipated $11.61 billion of total volume.

Municipal bond mutual funds recorded their fifth straight week of inflows, and their 62nd week of positive flows in the past 66 weeks.

The Municipal Bond Club of New York announced its new officers for the coming year.

Many in the municipal market saw this week as the right time to dump inventory and dive into what is one of the last large calendars of the year.

The week's largest issues arrived fast and furious Tuesday. And as they did, investors snatched them quickly, lending the municipal market a solid mien as the year end approached.

The week's largest deals have arrived to give the municipal market a year-end feel. As expected, investors are feeding at the new-issue trough and largely ignoring the secondary.

A quiet trading session precedes a hefty primary calendar in the municipal market Tuesday.