Bonds

Issuers, if they’re not already doing so, will soon have to pay much more to supply water to their constituents, turning to ever more inventive ways of procuring and treating water as fresh water supplies run down. That was the focus of one of the panels at the National Federation of Municipal Analysts’ 2023 Annual

Short-term munis sold off Wednesday, as triple-A benchmarks rose in sympathy with U.S. Treasuries. Equities rallied. Muni yields rose seven to 12 basis points five years in, while USTs rose two to eight basis points. Performance-wise, Matthew Buscone, co-head of portfolio management at Breckinridge Capital Advisors, said the muni market has been soft this week.

Fresh legislation in Tennessee, major projects in Georgia and a long-awaited bridge replacement in Louisiana are pushing the Southeast region to the forefront of national public-private partnership activity in the toll road sector. “The Southeast is where the action is when it comes to P3s,” said Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director of transportation policy at

Municipals were weaker Tuesday as U.S. Treasury yields rose and equities ended down. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 67%, the three-year at 68%, the five-year at 67%, the 10-year at 66% and the 30-year at 87%, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. ET read. ICE Data Services had the two-year at 70%, the

Alabama’s Senate is considering a new bill to boycott companies employing environmental, social, and governance rating criteria in their investment decisions. The Alabama Senate Committee on Fiscal Responsibility and Economic Development approved Senate Bill 261 10-3 late last week, sending to the floor for general debate legislation aimed at curbing the use of ESG decisions

Jackson County, Missouri, hits the market with a $260 million special obligation issue that will wrap up financing for a new jail complex long in the works that was chosen as the best option to deal with overcrowding and other public safety and mental health treatment goals. The bonds are expected to price as soon

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said “no” to revenue anticipation notes and a tax increase, but “yes” to climate and mental health bond proposals in the May budget revisions he presented Friday. Newsom stressed emphatically that the state has no plans to issue revenue anticipation notes despite expectations that $49 billion in anticipated revenues won’t come

Municipals were weaker in spots to end the week, while U.S. Treasuries and equities saw losses on continued concerns over the debt limit impasse and questions over the Federal Reserve’s next policy moves. Municipals mostly stayed in their own lane throughout the week but UST weakness Friday seeped into the secondary Friday, moving yields higher

Illinois trimmed its revenue estimates for the current fiscal year and must absorb higher social services expenses next year, leaving less room to maneuver as lawmakers finalize a supplemental spending package and new budget. They’re entering the homestretch of their spring session that’s slated to end May 19 with passage of a fiscal 2024 budget

The Puerto Rico Oversight Board will not be forced to turn over documents that may have provided a clearer picture of finances pertinent to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed an appeals court decision, rejecting journalist group Centro de Periodismo Investigativo’s (CPI) request for Puerto Rico Oversight Board papers.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey’s tax relief package is one step closer to passage despite slumping revenue figures. On Tuesday, the state Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed a $55.8 billion budget for fiscal ’24, forwarding along to the Democratic-controlled chamber a $575 million tax cut plan that preserves many of the proposals the governor

UBS will pay $850,000 to a Texas public school district in a settlement over the bank’s inability to underwrite bonds under a state law prohibiting government contracts with companies that “boycott” the fossil fuel industry, the state attorney general announced Friday. The settlement involves a $18.6 million Normangee Independent School District competitive bond sale the

A bill aimed at making changes to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority’s governing board overwhelmingly passed the state legislature in the wake of controversy over the agency’s $5 billion, bond-financed extension project. The measure was approved in a veto-proof 82-2 vote Thursday in the House after passing the Senate last month in a 41-2 vote.  The legislation

Fitch Ratings upgraded Kentucky’s long-term issuer default rating to AA from AA-minus and assigned a stable outlook to the credit. Fitch said Thursday its upgrade of Kentucky’s IDR “reflects material improvements to Kentucky’s fiscal reserves since 2020 as a result of improved budgetary discipline and a post-pandemic surge in tax collections now in its third

As Philadelphia gears up to sell $124 million of social bonds, it heads into the market sporting a ratings upgrade, and a positive outlook revision. Moody’s Investors Service upgraded Philadelphia’s issuer rating to A1 from A2 late last month and kept the credit outlook on the city at stable. Meanwhile, S&P Global Ratings revised its

Municipals remained little changed as fund outflows receded, the last of large deals of the week priced and Silicon Valley Bank muni holdings lists began circulating the Street for liquidation. U.S. Treasuries were firmer out long and equities ended mixed. Triple-A yields were little changed while UST yields fell on economic data. Lists of the

Several members of Congress introduced a bill to permanently raise the rum cover rate supporting some U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico bonds. The rum cover, a tax on rum sold in the 50 states, provides a revenue stream supporting USVI matching fund bonds and Puerto Rico Infrastructure Finance Authority rum bonds. The rate had

New Jersey Department of Transportation will spend $4.5 billion on capital improvements in the new fiscal year. Officials released the department’s fiscal ’24 capital financing plan on Tuesday. It leans on a mix of state and federal funding to bankroll repairs and upgrades to transportation networks across New Jersey. “This capital program reflects the need

Massachusetts state senators intend to leave Gov. Maura Healey’s $748 billion tax cut package intact in their redrafted budget proposal despite falling state revenues. The fate of Healey’s tax-relief plan, which features a mix of tax rate cuts and policy changes including an expanded child and family tax credit, and was a centerpiece of her

Municipals were little changed to start the week, while U.S. Treasuries extended their selloff and equities ended mixed. Municipal yields were steady while UST yields rose eight to 10 basis points across the curve. Ratios fell slightly as a result. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio Monday was at 66%, the three-year at 66%, the five-year at

Municipals were steady to close out the week, while U.S. Treasuries sold off on the heels of a stronger-than-expected jobs report. Equities rallied. Stronger-than-expected hiring and wage growth data on Friday caused “[UST] bond yields to climb while equities are advancing because the data is helping alleviate concerns of a potential recession,” said José Torres,