Markets

Despite strong investment gains and other improvements, a persistent underlying weakness remained the underlying theme for the non profit health care sector in 2013, according to Standard & Poor's.

Zero coupon tobacco bonds may fall especially hard when interest rates begin to rise, according to analysts who follow the high yield, long maturity securities.

Hospitals in the 24 states that have opted against expanding Medicaid under federal healthcare reform stand to lose out on $168 billion over 10 years while states will lose out on more than $400 billion, a new report from the Urban Institute concludes.

With higher education issuance set to jump, analysts are pondering whether the higher yields on the credits are worth the risk.

Large deals in New York and New Jersey -- led by New York City's $900 million general obligation bond refunding -- are expected to spark high demand this week due to their specialty state status despite an otherwise lackluster primary market dulled by the seasonal summer pullback in issuance.

Municipal bonds on the intermediate part of the curve outperformed long term maturities, producing a positive return with less volatility in the past 18 months, according to Granite Springs Asset Management.

The Bond Buyer's muni bond indexes were narrowly mixed in the week ending Aug. 7.

T. Rowe Price recently launched an Intermediate Tax-Free High-Yield Fund targeting investors who are worried about protecting their principle in the face of potentially higher interest rates yet comfortable with some extra risk.

Rhode Island's Tobacco deal has been put on day to day status by Citigroup following a lawsuit from two Oppenheimer Rochester funds.

Shortening duration, buying premium bonds, and minimizing risk are three paths municipal managers are taking as the second half of 2014 gets under way in anticipation of higher interest rates.