Bonds

Municipals were weaker on the front end of the curve as selling pressure mounted all week while U.S. Treasuries were mixed and equities ended down again. Investors will be greeted with a lackluster calendar of a mere $1.4 billion total and only two deals over $100 million as issuers hold back with the Federal Open

Correction Moody’s analyst Ted Hampton views New Jersey’s post-recession pension cost of living adjustments as signficant for the state retirement system, but faced weaker-than-anticipated market performance and a growing number of retirees eligible for benefits. The context of his views was not clear in the original version of the story. September 19, 2022 3:04 PM

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority mediation ended Saturday morning and the Oversight Board is proposing that litigation commence, as the sides were unable to reach an agreement. “[S]harp differences over what a reasonable settlement is” remain, the board said. The sides “also differ on some key legal issues.” The current round of mediation started in

Whatever the outcome of the midterm elections that are now only weeks away, municipal bond market advocates will remain committed to core priorities while investors will be focused on interest rates and inflation. Protect the tax exemption. Bring back tax-exempt advance refunding. Raise the ceiling on bank-qualified debt. Create a direct-pay bond program. Reduce the

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has voted to amend its Rule G-40 to allow municipal advisors to use testimonials in advertisements and Rule A-12 to make changes to Form A-12 on registration. The changes to G-40 will amend the current provision that states “a municipal advisor shall not, directly or indirectly, publish circulate or distribute

California revenues are $2 billion below its budget forecast for the first two months of fiscal year 2023. The monthly report released by the state’s Department of Finance Friday also showed that August revenues of $12.79 billion came in $816 million, or 6%, below the forecast in the 2022-23 Budget Act. For the first two

Security projects are a sizable part of a $2.44 billion bond proposal Austin Independent School District placed on the Nov. 8 ballot just months after the deadly mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.  The biggest-ever bond election for the fifth-largest school district in Texas would allocate at least $257.4 million for safety-related equipment and infrastructure, including

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders asked the bankruptcy court Monday to dismiss the proceedings as a step to appointing a receiver for the authority after the Oversight Board abruptly ended mediation Saturday morning. The bondholders may get to choose the receiver for the authority, which could “set affordable and sustainable electricity rates sufficient for

Municipals were weaker on the front end of the curve ahead outperforming larger losses on U.S. Treasuries that saw the two- and three-year yields rise to near 4% and the highest they’ve been since 2007. Triple-A muni yields rose another five basis points on the short end while UST rose up to seven. Two- and

Massachusetts plans to bring $2.7 billion of taxable business-tax backed special obligation revenue bonds with a social designation, marking the largest environmental, social and governance deal to date in the municipal market. The deal is also one of the larger taxable deals in 2022 in a year that has seen a significant drop in taxable

Los Angeles International Airport received a $50 million grant from the federal infrastructure bill for terminal road improvements, among the largest dispersed from the $1 billion allocated to 85 airports nationally. The grants are the first allotment in a five-year, $5 billion airport terminal grant program funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Transportation

The Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin may render unconstitutional issuer statutes that prohibit the use of bond proceeds for religious purposes. The court ruled last month that if a state chooses to subsidize private education, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because of religious affiliation. The ruling could change the way some

Municipals were mixed to close out a quiet summer Friday session ahead of a larger new-issue calendar that sees several billion-dollar deals. Triple-A benchmark yields once again largely ignored a selloff in U.S. Treasuries after a robust jobs report indicated the Federal Reserve will likely hike interest rates another 75 basis points at its next

Steven Permut entered the municipal finance industry in 1982, fresh out of the State University of New York at Oneonta, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in business economics and geography. But it wasn’t municipals that he was seeking. Permut had submitted his resume to Rand McNally for a position as a

Municipals were steady to firmer in secondary trading Thursday as a large airport revenue bond offering from the City and County of Denver, Colorado, and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority’s MTA deal took the focus. Municipals continued to ignore the movements of U.S. Treasuries, which saw yields rise for the second day, while equities

President Joe Biden has nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington to head up the Federal Aviation Administration, a move that would put a long-time issuer in the top aviation spot. Though he has limited airport experience, having served as DIA CEO for only one year, Washington has years of experience running a public transportation

Municipals rallied Wednesday, ignoring a selloff in U.S. Treasuries, after the Federal Open Market Committee meeting minutes reiterated the Fed’s position it would raise rates 50 to 75 basis points at its July meeting to stave off inflation. Equities ended slightly up.. Municipals were in their own lane Wednesday and triple-A yields fell four to

Nashville is negotiating with the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans about building a stadium that would be partly financed with municipal bonds but would lower costs to taxpayers who would be relieved of the burden of paying maintenance costs. The state, city and owners would all contribute toward the construction of a domed stadium under

Municipal yields fell for the third session in a row following the flight-to-safety bid in U.S. Treasuries as recession concerns continue to grow. Equities were mixed. Triple-A benchmark yields were bumped three to six basis points Tuesday with the strongest moves out long. Falling yields over the past two weeks have been “a welcome sigh

Signs of a rapidly deteriorating U.S. economic outlook have spurred bond traders to pencil in a complete policy turnaround by the Federal Reserve in the coming year, with interest-rate cuts in the middle of 2023. Fed Chair Jerome Powell — who is widely expected to keep lifting the central bank’s benchmark rate for some time