James Ramage

Investor demand improved, despite the continuation of outflows from municipal bond mutual funds for a 23rd consecutive week, at $503 million for the week of Oct. 30.

Long-term municipal bond volume for October trailed 2012 issuance for the third straight month, much as it has throughout the year, falling 28% over the same period in 2012.

The steady rise of inter-dealer trading of municipal bonds since the financial crisis has spurred debate in the market. Does their trading produce more liquidity or less-reliable price levels?

Investors continued to pull money from municipal bond mutual funds for a 22nd straight week, at $746 million.

Steve Nichols, a veteran of the municipal bond industry for more than 30 years with a focus on sales and trading, died Wednesday at 62.

Intermediate-range municipal bond yields slipped Friday on steady trading in the secondary market.

A burst of activity in the secondary market has pushed intermediate and long-term tax-exempt yields lower as the day's session crosses into the afternoon.

Municipal market participants foresee mostly a quiet Friday, in anticipation of a growing calendar projected to arrive next week.

Outflows from municipal bond mutual funds continued their stranglehold on the market as demand faltered for a 21st straight week.

Municipal bonds trailed Treasuries’ rally Thursday after the end of the government standoff as cash-heavy investors anticipated calmer waters and a surge in volume.

A sizeable anticipated calendar, an end to the standoff in Washington and cash-laden investors have provided some downward momentum to yields in the municipal market.

The municipal market opened Thursday's session with slightly lower yields following news that the U.S. government proved capable of stepping away from the financial abyss.

Intermediate-maturity munis sent a positive signal amid last week's market lethargy, as their prices stabilized at close to fair value relative to Treasuries.

For the 20th consecutive week, investors pulled money from municipal bond mutual funds, at $729 million for the week of Oct. 9.

The rally in stocks and slump in Treasury and municipal bonds this year has set the stage for a spate of tax-loss swaps in the remainder of 2013 that may increase muni selling.

Muni bond mutual funds recorded their 19th straight week of outflows, at $690 million, as demand for tax-exempts stumbled.

Advisory firm Clark Capital Management Group created a new fund that uses munis to hedge against interest-rate risk and formed a partnership with longtime muni pro Jonathan Fiebach to run it.

Clark Capital Management Group, a family- and employee-owned investment advisory firm that manages $3 billion in assets, appointed Main Point Advisors, Inc. to sub-advise its new Navigator Duration Neutral Bond Fund.

One asset Manager says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, when interest rates rise, municipal investors who try to limit their risk might be wise to not shorten the maturity on their bonds.

September long-term municipal bond volume fell 26% to its lowest since 2001, when terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon closed the markets for four days.