Investments

Table as of: 05/15/2012 15:41 PM Invisible Supply Issuer and purpose Amount

ALASKA

ALABAMA

Individual investors have been flocking to municipal bond funds, searching for safety and relatively high yields.

DALLAS — Top Louisiana officials said Monday that higher education and public health would be devastated by fiscal 2013 spending cuts mandated by a budget passed late last week by the House.

Table as of: 05/14/2012 13:44 PM Invisible Supply Issuer and purpose Amount

ARIZONA

HAWAII

CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority last week advanced financings on behalf of Loyola University of Chicago and Lake Forest College to help fund upgrades to residential and other student facilities considered key to the schools' appeal.

INDIANA

ALABAMA

Retail investors continue to rank credit quality high at the top of their list of criteria when shopping for municipal securities, whether they be individual bonds or tax-exempt bond funds.

Standard & Poor's has released a credit conditions forecast that is more positive for states than for localities.

Municipal bond issuance is expected to tick up this week, although it still remains at relatively low levels.

WASHINGTON — Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary Schapiro wants to move forward with regulations aimed at improving the stability of money-market funds, despite strong opposition from industry and state and local government groups.

ARIZONA

ALABAMA

Table as of: 05/11/2012 11:36 AM Invisible Supply Issuer and purpose Amount

Sturdy demand for tax-exempt paper and falling Treasuries pushed municipal yields in the intermediate and long ends of the curve lower throughout much of the week.

Municipal bond mutual funds saw a huge week of inflows, as investors continue to see strength in the market.