Markets

Rating pressures eased on the healthcare system's low investment grade rating.

The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices rose two basis points to 4.11% from the previous week's 4.09%.

The downgrade affected $38.4 million of general obligation debt.

Top-quality municipal bonds finished unchanged on Thursday, traders said, as more deals came to market in the last big push of the week.

It's two downgrades this week for Connecticut's troubled capital city.

The county’s 25-year, $339 million refunding sold with an all-in, true-interest cost of 3.38%.

The federal government ran an $90.2 billion deficit in June, the Treasury Department reported Thursday.

Top-quality municipal bonds were stronger at mid-session, traders said, as more deals came to market.

Municipal bond traders are set to see more deals head their way on Thursday as the market will see the last big sales of the week hit the screens.

Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits fell by 3,000 to 247,000 in the July 8 week, about what was expected.