Markets

Top quality municipal bonds ended stronger on Thursday, traders said, as the last of the week’s big deals hit the screens.

The Terre Haute Board of Sanitary Commissioners on Tuesday began an $85 million bond issue for the second phase of a long-term combined sewer overflow plan.

With no asset to show for more than $4 billion of debt, Santee Cooper’s bonds were downgraded by S&P.

Assured Guaranty Ltd., the largest municipal bond insurer, reported gains in second-quarter profit, boosted by share repurchases and lower reserve additions for Puerto Rico losses.

The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, aided by a recent bond rating upgrade from Standard and Poor's Rating Service, has been able to refinance debt and issue new revenue bonds for millions of dollars in long-term savings.

Councilman J.Ross Lacy will present a smaller road bond plan to the Midland City Council Tuesday.

The St. Joseph City Council approved $67 million bond issuance from the state of Missouri's Direct Loan program to fund the Blacksnake Creek project.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $39 billion 91-day bills and $33 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

Top quality municipal bonds were stronger at mid-session, traders said, as the last of the week’s big deals hit the screens.

The value of new factory orders rose by 3% in June, right on the target expectation by analysts from an MNI survey. Nondurable goods orders fell 0.3%, but durable goods orders were revised slightly down to a still strong 6.4% rise, data released by the Commerce Department Thursday morning showed.