Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON — Durable goods orders increased 2.5% in March, exceeding economists’ forecasts, as orders for nonmilitary capital goods, excluding aircraft, increased by the largest amount in four months, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve will complete its Treasury securities purchasing program at the end of June and will continue to reinvest principal holdings, while the federal funds rate target was held to a range between zero and 0.25%, the Federal Open Market Committee announced Wednesday.

WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve will complete its Treasury securities purchasing program at the end of June and will continue to reinvest principal holdings, while the Fed funds rate target was held to a range between zero and 0.25%, The Federal Open Market Committee announced Wednesday.

WASHINGTON – Durable goods orders increased 2.5% in March, exceeding economists’ forecasts, as orders for nondefense capital goods, excluding aircraft, increased by the largest amount in four months, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The Internal Revenue Service is auditing the bonds of two issuers based in Florida — a health care provider and a community development district.

Calls for the elimination of tax-exempt interest could seriously disrupt the municipal bond market, while incremental action to rein in the tax-exempt interest cost to the federal government is more likely than an all-out end to munis, market observers with the Bond Dealers of America said Monday.

New home sales increased 11.1% in March to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 300,000, the first increase in three months, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

New home sales increased 11.1% in March to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 300,000, the first increase in three months, the Commerce Department reported Monday.

Sen. John D. Rockefeller, D-W.Va., has introduced legislation to extend stimulus law authorizations for qualified zone academy bonds and qualified school construction bonds through 2015 and allow the debt to be issued with federal payments to issuers.

Existing home sales increased 3.7% to a seasonally-adjusted 5.10 million in March, as investors continue to swoop in for deals on lower-priced homes, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday.

Existing home sales increased 3.7% to a seasonally-adjusted 5.10 million in March, as investors continue to swoop in for deals on lower-priced homes, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday.

WASHINGTON — Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., plans to soon introduce a bill that would require all new munis to be taxable direct-pay bonds with a 25% federal subsidy rate — a proposal drawing a frosty reception from issuers and underwriters.

Housing starts increased to a seasonally adjusted 549,000 in March as building permits jumped to 594,000, the highest level in four months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

U.S. housing starts increased to a seasonally-adjusted 549,000 in March as building permits jumped to 594,000, the highest level in four months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Two Federal Reserve economists are refuting claims by some analysts that the muni market is headed for several billion dollars in defaults, calling the projections overblown and out of sync with past recessions.

Sen. Ron Wyden on Tuesday underscored his opposition to tax exemptions for new muni bonds, saying it is inefficient and that tax-credit bonds would benefit a broader set of taxpayers, not just high-net-worth individuals.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. ran a $188.2 billion deficit in March, the Treasury Department reported Tuesday. Receipts totaled $150.9 billion and outlays were $339.0 billion.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. international trade deficit retreated by $1.2 billion to $45.8 billion in February, the first decline in four months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON – The federal government ran a $188.2 billion deficit in March, the Treasury Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. international trade deficit retreated by $1.2 billion to $45.8 billion in February, the first decline in four months, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.