Bonds

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

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

With their revenues beating expectations through stronger-than-expected tax receipts and federal pandemic aid, many states have used the extra funds to pay down unfunded pension liabilities accrued in some cases over decades, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts report on state pension systems. The combination of increased contributions and surging investment returns “has had a

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

New York City could use municipal bonds as a way to finance better outcomes for migrants coming to New York from Ukraine and the southern border, city Comptroller Brad Lander said. Asylum seekers coming to the Big Apple could benefit from a new economic initiative tied into an inclusive strategy, Lander said during a webinar

Ohio-based ProMedica Health System lost its final investment grade rating when Moody’s Investors Service cut the credit citing ongoing losses as the system struggles with ongoing COVID-19 related challenges that have hit its senior care business especially hard. Moody’s dropped the rating two notches to Ba2 from Baa3 Monday and warned of further deterioration by

The municipal market is rattled by legislation pending before the Senate that would require governments to standardize their financial reports, with opponents warning it would be onerous and costly and ultimately could shrink tax-exempt supply. Supporters counter that the move would benefit investors and regulators and the cost of compliance is exaggerated. Though introduced months

Municipals were weaker Thursday as mutual fund losses climbed another $1.4 billion, while U.S. Treasuries sold off five years and in and equities ended in the red as ongoing concerns over Fed policy hang over markets. Municipal triple-A yields rose two to three basis points while UST rose up to eight on the short end

Guam’s governor approved a fiscal 2023 general fund net budget 14.4% larger than the current one, as revenues continue to exceed forecasts, offering some financial flexibility. Guam Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero signed the legislature-delivered budget earlier this week, but warned lawmakers about planning uses for excess revenues before an audit. In a memo to Legislature

James Diossa, the former mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island’s smallest city, won the state’s Democratic primary election for treasurer on Tuesday. He bested Stefan Pryor, former Rhode Island commerce secretary with 55% of the vote, according to results from the local election office. The victory advances Diossa towards a Nov. 8 general election showdown

A company that plans to make diesel fuel out of plant waste has won Louisiana authorization to issue up to $1.1 billion of tax-exempt revenue bonds. The Louisiana Community Development Authority’s executive committee voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a resolution granting final approval for the private activitybond issuance to finance a large share of the

Municipals saw losses across the yield curve, outperforming a U.S. Treasury selloff on the front end of the curve but facing larger losses out long, while equities tumbled following a hotter-than-expected inflation report. Two- and three-year muni-UST ratios are around 64% to 67%. The five-year was at 69%, the 10-year at 82% and the 30-year

Australian toll road operator Atlas Arteria Group has agreed to spend $2 billion to buy a 67% stake in the long-term lease of the Chicago Skyway. If the transaction closes, it would mark the third time the toll road asset has changed hands since the city of Chicago first sold the 99-year lease in 2005

Fitch Ratings upgraded New Jersey’s issuer default rating to A from A-minus and raised the ratings on the state’s $5.5 billion of general obligation bonds and $484 million of Garden State Preservation Trust revenue bonds that are linked to or capped by the state’s IDR. Fitch also raised the state’s qualified bond program and school

Inflation will fall back down to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target by early 2025, the San Francisco Fed said in a research note Friday. Price increases, which reached a four-decade high this year, are moderating and will continue to do so as the U.S. central bank raises interest rates, Sylvain Leduc, research director at the

Municipals were steady Friday ahead of a new-issue calendar next week at $6.6 billion, while U.S. Treasuries were weaker five years and in and equities rallied. “While the U.S. economic data remain relatively strong, this hawkish tone continues to put pressure on Treasury rates, which have moved higher by 10-15 basis points this week, more so

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and opponents of its plan to build bond-financed extensions will square off on Tuesday at a hearing set by the state Supreme Court. In its Aug. 10 petition to validate $500 million of second senior lien revenue bonds, OTA asked the Supreme Court to accept original jurisdiction for two lawsuits opponents

A federal judge is weighing whether to dismiss the charges against Capital Market Advisors, which was municipal advisor to the City of Rochester, New York and was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading investors and breaching its fiduciary duty in connection with a 2019 bond offering. Lawyers who preferred not to be

The Inflation Reduction Act offers a crutch, if not exactly a lifeline, to operating nuclear plants, a sector long plagued with high debt and fixed costs that may now be poised for a rebound thanks to national clean-energy goals. The IRA, which President Biden signed into law Aug. 16, provides $30 billion in production tax

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he favors “another significant” increase in interest rates when the central bank meets later this month, signaling his backing for a 75 basis-point move. “Inflation is far too high, and it is too soon to say whether inflation is moving meaningfully and persistently downward,” Waller said in the text