Markets

Kroll Bond Rating Agency assigned its AA-plus rating to New York state general obligation bonds in its first ever rating of the Empire State.

Small colleges are having a hard time but college mergers may help out, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Weekly municipal volume is set to increase to a three-month high, led by bond sales from the University of California and New York City.

For the week ended March. 5, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, moved up two basis points to 4.27% from 4.25% the previous week.

BlackRock, Inc. is expanding its iShares Exchange Traded Fund business with a municipal bond fund.

A bill designed to ease Detroit's first appearance in the public debt market since its bankruptcy sailed through a Michigan legislative committee and could come before the Senate next week.

Standard & Poor's lowered its ratings on Sweet Briar College's bonds to B-minus from BBB due to a recent decision to close the central Virginia woman's college.

Portfolio manager Michael Pepe is buying bonds with 10-year call provisions and hospital bonds with attractive yields to cope with a flat yield curve and tight spreads as the market awaits higher interest rates.

Hospital credits could be hurt if the Supreme Court strikes down federal health insurance subsidies established by the Affordable Care Act, Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday.

Strong overall demand for municipals and opportunities for relatively attractive yields in the new-issue market should propel interest in next week's primary market sized at nearly $9 billion.