Markets

The value of retail sales rose 0.6% in July, well ahead of expectations for a 0.3% gain, and followed a sharply upward revised 0.3% gain in June, data released by the Commerce Department Tuesday morning shows.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity grew strongly in New York State," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday, as the general business conditions index soared to 25.2 in August from 9.8 in July.

Top-quality municipal bonds ended mixed on Monday, according to traders, as the market prepared for this week’s $6.7 billion new issue calendar.

Build America Mutual, after surviving a credit watch with its double-A rating intact, posted mixed results in the second quarter.

New Jersey’s Essex County neared the top of the bond rating charts 15 years after sitting in triple-B territory.

Top-quality municipal bonds were mixed at mid-session, according to traders, as the market prepared for this week’s $6.7 billion new issue calendar.

The state of Maryland is expected to bring $1.34 billion over two competitive sales, bringing the possibility of resetting the municipal yield curve.

Consumers’ inflation expectations held for one-year, but dipped for the three-year horizon, according to the July Survey of Consumer Expectations, released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Monday.

Municipal bond traders will be gearing up on Monday to see this week’s $6.7 billion new issue calendar, which will get started in earnest on Tuesday.

Primary municipal bond market volume is expected to increase to $6.7 billion.