Markets

Confidence among U.S. home builders cooled in April after jumping a month earlier to the highest level since mid-2005, according to data Monday from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Municipal bond market participants are returning to work after the long holiday weekend. Traders will be eyeing declining muni yields as they await the start of the week’s new issuance.

Business activity grew at a more subdued pace in New York State, according to firms responding to the April 2017 Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice likened the fiscal 2018 budget passed by the legislature to a “death certificate,” as he vetoed the spending plan.

Municipal market participants will come back to work after a long holiday weekend to almost $7 billion of new issuance, highlighted by another billion dollar deal from California.

UBS Wealth Management Americas is looking to revive its capital markets and public finance businesses, hiring Peter Hill from Wells Fargo and Steven Genyk from Janney, and reassigning Chief Risk Officer Mark Sanborn to head capital markets and sales.

Municipal bonds were trading stronger at midday, according to traders, who were wrapping up their business ahead of the full market close for Good Friday. Ipreo estimates municipal bond volume for next week at $6.82 billion.

The University of Michigan's preliminary April consumer sentiment index reading was 98.0, compared to the final March 96.9 and the preliminary March 97.6, according to market sources.

Municipal bond traders were wrapping up their business on Thursday ahead of the full market close for Good Friday. Trading will resume after the Easter weekend on Monday, April 17.

Initial claims for U.S. state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to 234,000, the lowest in six weeks, the Labor Department reported Thursday.