Markets

Florida’s utilities expect to take on more debt to develop alternative water sources, Fitch Ratings says.

The value of U.S. durable goods new orders fell 1.1% in May, well below expectations for a 0.5% decline, as transportation orders plunged 3.4% and nontransportation orders posted only a modest 0.1% gain, data released Monday by the Commerce Department showed.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for May decreased to negative 0.26 from positive 0.57 in April, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported Monday.

Although the volume for the primary market will fall toward a more normal level, demand isn't expected to waver.

Rutgers University's outlook was revised to stable from negative by Moody’s Investors Service.

Top-shelf municipal bonds were flat at midday as traders take a break from the primary on Friday to look ahead to next week’s new issue slate. an estimated $6.82 billion.

The pace of new single-family home sales rose to a stronger-than-expected 610,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate in May, following upward revisions to the sales pace in the previous three months, data released by the Commerce Department Friday showed.

Municipal bond traders are taking a break from the primary on Friday to go through the long list of deals that priced this week and put them into their order books.

In the week ended June 22, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index was unchanged from 4.04% the previous week. The BB40 Index is based on the price of 40 long-term bonds.

Top-rated municipals bonds finished mixed on Thursday, traders said, as several big deals from California issuers were closing out the week’s new issue slate.