Bonds

Municipals were weaker ahead of a heavier new-issue calendar, while U.S. Treasury yields rose and equities ended down. Investors will be greeted Monday with a new-issue calendar estimated at $11.488 billion, one of the largest year to date. Triple-A benchmark yields were cut two to six basis points, depending on the scale, while U.S. Treasury

S&P Global Ratings on Friday raised Massachusetts’s general obligation long-term credit rating to AA-plus from AA, and upgraded bonds backed by annual appropriations from the state. “The upgrade reflects our view that the commonwealth’s commitment to strengthen its budget management practices supported by the state’s improved reserves and a strong economy will be sustained through

A California bill that would restrict the state attorney general from imposing what the authors called “unreasonable, unworkable, and unnecessary conditions” on rural hospitals seeking to stay open by merging with, or selling to, another hospital was pulled from committee. Senate Bill 774, slated to be heard in the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday was

Municipals were steady Thursday in secondary trading as investors turned their attention to a sizable new-issue slate distracting from a weaker U.S. Treasury market. Equities rallied. Outflows from municipal bond mutual funds intensified as Refinitiv Lipper reported $255.794 million was pulled from them as of Wednesday after $91.713 million of outflows the week prior. With

The Securities and Exchange Commission will host its Municipal Securities Disclosure Conference May 10, both in-person and virtual, where moderating staff from the Office of Municipal Securities will lead panelists through topics such as ESG, the Financial Data Transparency Act and voluntary disclosure. The conference will be attended by SEC chairman Gary Gensler, Commissioners Hester

They say the third time’s a charm — and that must be true in the Garden State, where for the third time in less than a week, New Jersey received a credit rating upgraded. S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday raised its long-term and underlying ratings on the state’s general obligation bonds to A from A-minus

The embattled Oklahoma Turnpike Authority will halt work on a controversial $5 billion expansion project until its access to the municipal bond market is assured. The work stoppage effective Friday comes as the OTA faces an investigative state audit, litigation by property owners opposed to the project, and legislation that would impact the selection and

Municipals were firmer in spots, while U.S. Treasury yields rose 10 years and in ahead of Wednesday’s consumer price index report. Equities ended mixed. Triple-A yields were bumped up to three basis points Tuesday while UST yields rose up to two basis points 10 years and in, moving municipal-UST ratios near their 12-month lows, according

New Jersey’s efforts to reduce long-term obligations, especially pension liabilities, resulted in good news for the Garden State, as it received a second rating upgrade ahead of next week’s sale of more than $1 billion of school bonds. Fitch Ratings raised New Jersey’s issuer and general obligation bond ratings on Tuesday to A-plus from A

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders want 100% of what they are owed and the Oversight Board working on the power authority’s bankruptcy plan offers a dramatically lower repayment percentage, court filing show. In a filing late on Friday, the bondholders said even if one assumed their claim was “unsecured,” they would still have a

The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority in North Carolina has won approval to sell $175 million of transportation revenue bonds. The state Local Government Commission voted April 4 to allow the airport authority to continue to finance its expansion work at the regional airport. Most bond sales in the state must be approved by the

Citing “rollbacks in the face of myopic right-wing pushback against responsible fiduciary investing,” New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said Wednesday that two of the city’s pension funds have established new plans to reach net zero emissions in their investment portfolios by 2040.  “If the cynical war of political distraction waged by red-state politicians at the

The Securities and Exchange Commission has settled with Roberto Mejill-Tellado for his role in acting as an unregistered investment advisor for the City of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, where he and six others were accused of defrauding the city of $9 million. In June 2022, Mejill-Tellado pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire

The Internal Revenue Service is examining a $338.4 million 2015 bond issuance by the Clark County School District in Nevada and asking questions about federal tax compliance, according to a letter the district received from the IRS that was disclosed on EMMA. According to the disclosure filing, the IRS is asking for copies of specified

The Biden administration has announced it planned to spend $585 million to fix aging water systems in the West, more than half going to California. The funding announced Wednesday during an event at the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River in Yuma, Arizona, will go to 83 projects across 11 states. California will receive $308

Municipals were firmer Thursday in a relatively quiet trading session as investors waited to see how many nonfarm payroll jobs were added in March. U.S. Treasuries and equities were mixed. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio was at 60%, the three-year at 60%, the five-year at 62%, the 10-year at 64% and the 30-year at 90%, according

The U.S. Virgin Islands Senate postponed voting on a bill that would address the Water and Power Authority’s debt to its fuel supplier after raising concerns about the islands’ own financial obligations for it and a lack of advance notice of it. . The Senate on Wednesday postponed considering a bill for a letter of

Moody’s Investors Service upgraded New Jersey’s issuer rating and general obligation bonds to A1 from A2 Thursday. The upgrade “incorporates a solid economic recovery, with job gains leading the region and driving employment above the state’s pre-pandemic peak,” Moody’s said. The rating agency said the upgrade is supported by the state’s commitment to full, actuarial

Assured Investment Management (AssuredIM), which runs the institutional asset management business of Assured Guaranty Ltd., and some of its affiliated asset management companies, will be acquired by asset management firm Sound Point Capital Management. Insurers Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp. and Assured Guaranty Corp. “will also engage Sound Point as their sole alternative credit manager to

Muni yields continued to fall along with U.S. Treasuries Wednesday as weaker-than-expected private payrolls for March led to supportive bond prices and a market rally. Equities ended mixed. California priced its $2.6 billion general obligation deal for institutions with double-digit bumps from Tuesday’s retail offering. Municipal to UST ratios on the short end remain rich.

As NASA gets set to head to the moon again, data says the agency has had a positive economic impact here on Earth. In fiscal 2021, 27,004 jobs were created in Florida alone through space agency spending, the space agency said, adding that its activities ripple across the entire United States. On Monday, NASA and

Tennessee will turn to tolls and public-private partnerships to meet the mounting costs of managing its roadways. Gov. Bill Lee’s Transportation Modernization Act cleared its last legislative hurdle Thursday as theGeneral Assembly approved his $3.3 billion package allowing for the use of P3s for highways for the first time in the state’s history. “Tennessee is

S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook on Louisiana’s general obligation bonds to positive from stable and affirmed the state’s rating at AA-minus. The rating action comes in connection with Louisiana’s next planned GO sale, the $251.1 million Series 2023-A competitive deal slated for April 13, according to Refinitiv.. “The outlook revision reflects our view of

The Puerto Rico Oversight Board said Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders are making “unreasonable” demands in their discovery in the agency’s bankruptcy. “The bondholders’ approach to discovery in this case has been marked by unreasonable demands and timelines,” the board said through its attorney in a response filed late Friday in the bankruptcy. “The

A $2.1 billion project in Tempe that includes an arena for the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes is facing organized opposition and litigation as it awaits its fate with city voters next month. The mostly privately financed mixed-use development, which would use municipal bonds to fund site cleanup and infrastructure costs, has been the target

March municipal bond issuance dropped 30% year-over-year, as issuers this month dealt with Silicon Valley Bank collapse-induced volatility in the U.S. Treasury market, rising interest rates and an uncertain outcome for Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Total volume for the month was $31.795 billion in 515 issues, down from $45.555 billion in 985 issues a

Municipal bonds finished trading little changed Friday as the market rode out the end of the month and the first quarter on a calm note as Treasuries strengthened and stocks surged. While munis came into March like a lamb, they went out like a lioness, calm and proud. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio was at 58%,

New Jersey’s wind energy industry is under fire following somemarine mammal deaths that the industry’s opponents blame on the development of offshore platforms along the state’s coastline. On Thursday, protests in Trenton calling for a moratorium on offshore platform development were followed by an announcement by Republican U.S. Representative Van Drew, whose district includes Atlantic

New York State lawmakers look likely to miss the deadline to have a new budget in place before the start of the state’s fiscal year on April 1. Last year the budget was approved a week late. “The governor and Legislature are discussing many important issues as they work to finalize the state budget, but

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders, the bond trustee, and bond insurers asked for certification of their appeal on bondholder liens but there are signals the judge isn’t inclined to grant it. On Friday morning District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain not only rejected considering issues bondholders wanted treated separately, but she also set deadlines