James Ramage

NEW YORK — Marked by little activity in the primary and secondary, the municipal bond market Tuesday essentially stood still, settling into a slow, pre-holiday-week languor.

With little activity in the primary and secondary, the municipal bond market is settling into a slow, pre-holiday week.

A slightly improved municipal market picture has come into focus Tuesday morning, marked by a touch more volume in the secondary. More market participants have also returned to their desks from hurricane-imposed house confinement.

Hurricane Irene has come and gone, but the municipal market managed to get swept up in her tailwinds Monday, leading to sparse attendance on some trading desks and extremely light activity in the primary and secondary.

NEW YORK — Hurricane Irene has come and gone, but the municipal market managed to get swept up in her tailwinds Monday, leading to sparse attendance on some trading desks and extremely light activity in the primary and secondary.

The municipal market continues to limp through poor conditions for trading and new issuance as the day crosses into the afternoon.

The combination of exceptionally low issuance, the coming holiday weekend, and the lingering effects of Hurricane Irene may have dropped the municipal market to the canvas at the opening bell.

A distracted municipal market saw sporadic trading in the secondary Friday.

A distracted municipal market saw sporadic trading in the secondary Friday.

The municipal market is taking last call right now. Traders report colleagues leaving early amid quiet trading and average volume in the secondary.

With a weekend and a storm bearing down, investors have lined all of their bids up to go off well before noon, eastern time, indicating a session that will be light and finish early.

Investors pulled money from municipal bond mutual funds for a fifth consecutive week.

The week ending Aug. 24 saw $148 million in outflows from muni bond funds that report their flows weekly, according to Lipper FMI.

A tentative and apathetic municipal market paused Thursday, awaiting the message Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to deliver Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

NEW YORK — A tentative and apathetic municipal market paused Thursday, awaiting the message Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is scheduled to deliver Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

Light activity in the primary and secondary characterized the municipal market Thursday afternoon.

The municipal market has mostly been following Treasuries so far Thursday morning. But the primary and secondary markets are also providing leadership.

Investors hit the municipal market anxious for new deals in the primary and new merchandise in the secondary, likely to get some last-minute trading in before the holiday week.

NEW YORK — Investors hit the municipal market Wednesday ready to buy. They arrived anxious for new deals in the primary and new merchandise in the secondary, likely to get some last-minute trading in before the holiday week.

Low nominal yields, widening credit spreads, and stagnant names in the secondary are making for a sluggish municipal market thus far Wednesday.