Primary bond market

Illinois spreads are rising as the state plots its first sale of 2018 for May.

Municipal market participants will return to their desks next week and see a $4.8 billion new issue calendar.

The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, dipped to 3.99% from 4.00% last week.

Traders noted some caution in the muni market ahead of Friday’s release of the March unemployment report.

Municipals were trading in sympathy with Treasuries on Thursday morning as the market remained quiet as it prepared for the week’s end.

BlackRock's Peter Hayes says that municipal bond performance in the first quarter was clearly hurt by tax reform.

Morgan Stanley rose to No. 2 and JPMorgan slipped out of the top 5 among municipal underwriters; PFM fell to second among financial advisors.

Buyers of municipal bonds had a variety of new issues to choose from on Wednesday as deals from New Jersey, New York, California and Maryland all came to market.

California's attorney general says the hospital chain used anti-competitive practices to drive up prices in Northern California.

Despite municipals being a little sidetracked as Treasuries weakened, traders said there was a more constructive nature overall to the market on Tuesday.

Retail buyers were offered the chance to buy the New Jersey Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp.’s subordinate tobacco settlement bonds.

The second-quarter kicked off Monday with a little more optimism among municipal market participants after "one of the worst quarters in a long, long time."

The municipal bond market is set to see a chunky new issue calendar this week: $7.85 billion.

The competitive issuance will include roughly $35 million of taxable bonds.

The Tobacco Settlement Corp. is coming to market with over $3 billion of municipal bonds in a refunding deal that takes out all of the securities issued back in 2007.

The influx of volume may give the boost that's needed to jump-start the primary market.

Municipal bond volume picked up from February, prompting speculation that this year's drought in deals may soon ease.

The municipal bond market will see almost $7.9 billion of new deals head their way next week, as New Jersey tobacco's dominate the calendar.

In the week ended March 28, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index fell to 4.00% from 4.01% the previous week. The BB40 Index is based on the price of 40 long-term bonds.

The municipal market was winding up the week on a tentative note as Connecticut offered its general obligations to institutional investors.