Markets

Taxable bonds and COVID-19 are two of the main catalysts that helped February municipal bond volume ascend to its highest level since at least 1986.

Moody's Investors Service revised the outlook on Hurley Medical Center's Ba1 rating to positive from stable ahead of a $52 million sale.

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis President James Bullard said the Fed is ready to act if the COVID-19 virus develops into a destabilizing force.

Municipal market technicals were already driving performance and so the strong quality bid has deepened the rally across the curve as the asset class really didn’t need to grab the U.S. Treasuries coattails all that tightly.

Issuers of all sizes are taking advantage of the expanding taxable investor base — from institutions to international to SMAs — as the muni market evolves.

Issuers in the Far West sold $85 billion of municipal bonds in 2019, a 23% increase from 2018.

GDP, jobless claims, pending homes sales rise while durable goods orders decline.

Chris Mier, CFA of Loop Capital, says fiscal policy needs to achieve more at present and believes we are at a comfortable point in the credit cycle. Despite that conviction, he says the coronavirus will serve to slow growth. John Hallacy hosts.

Municipal bond yields were unchanged at record low levels, according to late reads.

Moody's Investors Service revised its outlook on Detroit's general obligation bonds to positive from stable and affirmed its junk Ba3 rating.