Markets

Top-rated municipal bonds were mixed ahead of the Labor Day weekend. The primary is wrapped up for the week, with no major deals scheduled for Thursday or Friday.

Pending home sales decreased 0.8% to an index reading of 109.1 in July, after a downwardly revised 1.3% gain to a 110.0 reading in June, according to a report released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors.

The Chicago Business Barometer was unchanged at 58.9 in August.

Municipal bond traders are taking a break as the market quiets down ahead of the looming Labor Day holiday weekend. The primary sector is wrapped up for the week, with no major deals scheduled for Thursday or Friday.

The seasonally adjusted Milwaukee Report on Business decreased to 55.41 in August from 56.98 in July, the Institute for Supply Management-Milwaukee reported Thursday.

Personal income was up 0.4% in July, while nominal PCE was up 0.3%, and the core PCE price index posted a 0.1% gain.

Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits rose by 1,000 to 236,000 in the August 26 week, as expected, following an upward revision to the claims level in the previous week, data released by the Labor Department Thursday showed.

The Midwest Economy Index declined to 0.29 in July from 0.43 in June, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago said Thursday.

The state passed a law to strengthen its school credit enhancement program, bringing Moody's upgrades to 58 school districts.

Top-rated municipal bonds ended unchanged on Wednesday, according to traders, as primary action dwindled down to a last few deals for the week.