Maria Bonello

Market participants sense a stronger tone in the municipal bond market on Tuesday despite limited activity.

The city of New York's $900 million of tax-exempt fixed-rate general obligation refunding bonds, the largest deal in the negotiated market this week, entered the first day of its retail order period on Monday.

Municipal bonds on the intermediate part of the curve outperformed long term maturities, producing a positive return with less volatility in the past 18 months, according to Granite Springs Asset Management.

The City of New York will bring $900 million of tax-exempt fixed-rate general obligation refunding bonds, the largest deal in the negotiated market scheduled for next week.

The Bond Buyer's muni bond indexes were narrowly mixed in the week ending Aug. 7.

Assured Guaranty, MBIA's National Public Financing Guarantee and Build America Mutual are combining television, radio and internet advertising with one-on-one meetings with issuers to help edge their way back into the municipal market.

Moody's Investors Service has released proposed changes in its rating methodology for financial guarantors that it said would better reflect the changes that have occurred in the bond insurance industry since 2007.

Build America Mutual's AA rating and stable outlook has been affirmed by Standard & Poor's for its financial strength.

Market participants were not fazed by the positive economic data in the employment report released on a low volume summer Friday.

The Bond Buyer's muni bond indexes were mixed in the week ending July 31.

Moody's Investors Service enhanced the ratings of 98 New York school districts to Aa3 from A1 with stable outlooks, following rating upgrades for the state's general obligation bonds.

Market participants anticipate that the $285 million Illinois Sports Facility Authority refunding bonds deal will bring extra spread to the market on Thursday.

Municipal Assurance Corp., Assured Guaranty's municipal-only business, has been licensed by the California Department of Insurance to write financial guaranty insurance in the state alongside its affiliates Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp. and Assured Guaranty Corp.

The Bond Buyer’s muni bond indexes strengthened in the week ending July 24.

Maryland's general obligation pricing, which pushed yields on the MMD scale lower earlier in the week, may bode well for the $163.6 million Louisiana Public Facilities Authority deal scheduled to enter the market on Thursday.

The state of Maryland is expected to auction a two-part deal totaling $779.7 million of general obligation bonds in the competitive market Wednesday, the largest deal of the week.

MUFG Union Bank NA, the United States unit of Japan's biggest bank, plans to climb the ranks among U.S. municipal underwriters by focusing on the largest issuers.

The Bond Buyer's muni bond indexes were mixed in the week ending July 17.

Morgan Stanley is scheduled to price $675 million of New York City Transitional Finance Authority tax-exempt fixed-rate revenue bonds for institutions on Wednesday.

Market participants are gearing up to throw their cash into the primary market this week as July 4th vacations and the World Cup have come to an end, putting focus back onto the market.