Markets

The demand component of the municipal bond market is continuing to drive firm prices,

The region's municipal bond industry insiders saw a silver lining in a 21% increase for new money volume.

Municipals remained strong on Monday as a Wisconsin school district sold GOs in the primary market.

Texas factory activity growth, as measured by the production index, “continued to expand in February,” but at a slower pace than in January.

December wholesale inventories increased by 1.1%, vs. a 0.1% rise expected by an MNI survey of analysts.

Intel Corp. is this week’s top headline act in the municipal bond primary market as issuers in Arizona and Oregon prepare to sell $650 million of industrial and economic development revenue bonds.

The Chicago Fed National Activity Index for January fell to negative 0.43 from a downwardly revised positive 0.05 in December.

Note issuance declined in 2018 as a result of tax reform, rate fears, and ongoing fiscal austerity sparked by state and local revenue growth.

Following a late-2017 rush to market of advance refundings and private-activity bonds in the run-up to the implementation of new tax legislation, supply in 2018 -- particularly refunding issuance -- suffered a steep decline.

IHS Markit Ipreo forecasts weekly bond volume will increase to $4.9 billion.