Bonds

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he would vote to confirm Sarah Bloom Raskin to be the Federal Reserve’s next vice chair for supervision. Speaking to Yahoo Finance on Monday, Tester — considered a centrist voice on the Senate Banking Committee — said that he would vote to advance Raskin’s nomination out of the

How much debt does New York State have outstanding and how is it issued? The answer for inquiring investors is “It may be more than you imagine.” The nonpartisan Volcker Alliance released an issue paper on Feb. 3 that takes an in-depth look at the Empire State’s municipal bonds and other debts the state owes

New York State and its numerous public authorities and agencies owe $186.6 billion to bondholders, the federal government, and future retirees, among others. Without borrowing, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority wouldn’t have been able to keep the subway running during the COVID-19 pandemic and the state unemployment trust fund wouldn’t have had enough cash to pay

The Puerto Rico House of Representatives rejected a measure allocating money for bondholders and other payments connected with the court-approved Plan of Adjustment. Shortly after midnight Friday the House voted 25-21 in favor of the joint resolution, which would have amended the current year’s budget, one vote short of the needed majority for passage. Puerto

Harvey, Illinois, has resolved Securities and Exchange Commission concerns over its compliance with a 2014 consent judgment that settled fraud charges, removing one hurdle to a debt restructuring. The SEC forced the city back into court in October 2020 over concerns the city had not fully implemented an independent consultant’s recommendations aimed at cleaning up

Munis sold off, playing catch-up Thursday’s U.S. Treasury selloff, while taxables pared back some of those losses in a flight-to-quality bid Friday as equities were hit hard on U.S.-Russia tensions. Triple-A muni benchmark yields were cut by up to 10 basis points on the short end but the pain was felt across the curve with

U.S. Treasuries sold off hard Thursday, with the two-year rising 24 basis points to hit above 1.60% and the 10-year UST surpassing 2%, after inflation hit a four-decade high at 7.5%. Municipals followed suit, rising by five to eight basis points, but dramatically outperformed USTs. Equities took a beating, particularly tech stocks as markets digested

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s release of a record $74.1 billion budget that would boost reserves, raise education and infrastructure spending, and fund tax relief moves the legislative debate over how to spend billions in tax surpluses and federal relief into high gear. The package would raise spending levels from the current $70 billion budget and

Municipal yields were little changed Wednesday and the primary saw some action while U.S. Treasuries were slightly better on the day and equities were in the black ahead of Thursday’s CPI numbers. Triple-A benchmark yields were little changed while UST yields were slightly better outside of two years. The municipal to UST ratio five-year was

Washington achieved better-than-expected spreads to triple-A benchmark yield curves on the $749.4 million general obligation deal it sold competitively Tuesday despite the recent choppiness in the market, according to Jason Richter, deputy treasurer for debt management. BofA Securities won the first tranche of $199.1 million beating out seven other bidders with a true interest cost

Municipals were weaker Tuesday amid another spike in U.S. Treasury yields while equities rallied. The primary market was active, with Washington selling $743.5 million of general obligation bonds at similar spreads to its last deal in November. The South Carolina Public Service Authority priced $930 million of revenue refunding bonds while the state of Ohio

Claire G. Cohen, 87, one of the first women professionals in the municipal bond industry, whose career in public finance spanned over 49 years died at home on Feb. 3. “She was a pioneer in many ways, never shy to express an opinion which was always thoughtful and without rancor,” said Hy Grossman, who began

Municipals were mostly steady Monday in light trading, with some slight weakness on the long end, while U.S. Treasuries were little changed and equities ended mixed. Triple-A benchmark yields rose a basis point or two in spots while UST were little moved from Friday’s levels. The municipal to UST ratio five-year was at 66%, 75%

Responses to the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s request for information on environmental social and governance factors are beginning to show some indication of the challenges regulators face in responding to the growing interest in ESG investing. Responses to the MSRB’s December RFC so far have generally agreed that standardized ESG disclosures would add quite the

Idaho received its second rating upgrade in four months when Moody’s Investors Service elevated the state’s issuer rating to Aaa from Aa1 on Thursday. The upgrade reflects the state’s continued positive economic and demographic outlook and efforts to increase reserves to protect against the state’s volatile economic and revenue structure, Moody’s analysts wrote. Also upgraded

Two Michigan-based systems — Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health — formally joined forces this week after clearing heightened anti-trust scrutiny ordered by the Biden administration across a swath of sectors last summer. The not-for-profit systems announced their intention to merge by signing a letter of intent in June 2021. One month later, the Biden administration launched

Parties filing appeals of the Puerto Rico Plan of Adjustment face an uphill battle as the bankruptcy judge who approved the plan would need to grant a stay of it for appeals to proceed, lawyers said. Four notices of appeal had been filed in the U.S. District Court for Puerto Rico concerning the plan as

New Jersey has followed through on plans to use its budget surplus to trim its debt load. More than $3 billion in principal and interest on New Jersey bonds has been retired, the state Department of the Treasury said on Thursday. New Jersey allocated $3.7 billion in the state’s fiscal 2022 budget to cut outstanding

Municipals were slightly weaker, particularly on the long end, but the asset class outperformed a selloff in U.S. Treasuries after a stronger-than-expected jobs report. January’s payrolls surged 467,000, and December’s were revised up to 510,000 from 199,000, causing Treasury yields to spike. “The inflation battle for the Fed and their monetary policy will be a

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said investors need to brace for the Federal Reserve to potentially raise interest rates at all seven remaining policy meetings this year and even for it to hike by more than a quarter point in one go. “Markets have to be prepared for a rate hike in every meeting

Illinois would pump up now near-empty rainy day fund, pay more of its bills down, bolster scheduled pension contributions, and provide one-time tax relief under budget plans Gov. J.B. Pritzker laid out Wednesday. The state expects an additional $2.2 billion of revenue, about 5% of general funds, in fiscal 2022 and another $2 billion in

WASHINGTON — A weekslong onslaught of Republican opposition to two of the Biden administration’s Federal Reserve nominees — Sarah Bloom Raskin and Lisa Cook — tees up a contentious confirmation hearing on Thursday. Saule Omarova, the White House’s pick for comptroller of the currency who ultimately withdrew, faced similar blowback in the fall. But Senate

Municipals were better across the curve with the largest bumps out long Wednesday, moving the 30-year down 11 basis points in two days, while U.S. Treasuries were slightly better and equities saw modest gains. Triple-A benchmarks saw yields fall one to seven basis points while UST were better by one to two basis points. Ratios

Efforts to capture a fixed share of California’s budget for water infrastructure will continue despite the failure of a ballot measure campaign. As the More Water Now campaign announced Tuesday it had failed to secure the needed 1 million signatures for the Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022 by the deadline, Assemblyman Devon Mathis, R-Visalia,

Municipals ended the month in the red but yields rose only a basis point or two on most triple-A scales on Monday while U.S. Treasuries were also softer and equities rallied hard. Triple-A benchmark yields rose slightly as did UST, keeping muni to UST ratios in a higher range. The municipal to UST ratio five-year

Public-private partnerships have a big role to play in U.S. transportation infrastructure over the next decade, said Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg spoke to the National Governors Association’s winter meeting Saturday, fielding questions about P3s and promising flexibility and speed when partnering with states on the $1.2 trillion IIJA. The NGA helped craft

The Puerto Rico Oversight Board has discussed completing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority restructuring without a local law supporting it, since members of a Senate panel appear opposed to such legislation. The board reached preliminary terms with the bondholders on a Restructuring Support Agreement in spring 2019. As currently proposed, the Puerto Rico Senate

President Joe Biden Friday visited the site of a major Pittsburgh bridge that collapsed just hours before he was scheduled to visit the city to highlight his infrastructure spending plan. Looking at the 450-foot collapsed span, Biden pledged the White House would “fix them all,” referring to thousands of bridges needing investment nationally. “We’re sending

Michigan’s multi-billion dollar revenue windfall puts tax relief front and center for Democrats and Republicans alike as the legislative session and budget season heats up. While both sides of the aisle are pushing for tax cuts, the form they would take remains the subject of debate. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who is up for

Credit unions and teachers’ associations separately filed notices of appeal of the court-approved Puerto Rico Plan of Adjustment Friday afternoon. The teachers’ associations will ask the appeals court to stay implementation of the plan, said Bufete Emmanuelli Partner Jessica Méndez Colberg. In the last week the Oversight Board said it was hoping the plan could