Bondholders and other parties involved in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy returned to court Friday in an effort to move the needle on their opposing cases seeking better repayment terms. Bond parties defended their adversary complaint against Puerto Rico’s central government’s actions regarding PREPA since the central government emerged from bankruptcy in March
Bonds
Municipals saw weakness for the first time since October after falling upward of 100 basis points since then, as investors are digesting the lower muni yield set amid richer ratios and weaker U.S. Treasuries. Triple-A yields rose one to three basis points with larger losses out long, depending on the curve, while USTs were mixed
Recovering from last year’s brutal selloff, high-yield municipal bond funds this year have faced an improved but still rough performance amid large pockets of market volatility, as some, like Nuveen’s market-dominating fund, suffered more than others. While portfolio managers said they’re optimistic that shifting market dynamics will boost performance in 2024, the market swings this
Oregon lawmakers were forced to approve $19 million in emergency funding last week to bolster its highway maintenance as winter approaches. Oregon Department of Transportation officials had begun implementing significant service reductions within maintenance and operations amid shortfalls caused by a decline in gas tax revenues, record high inflation and limitations on budgeted agency funds.
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham unveiled a $500 million public-private sector plan last week to build a strategic water supply to advance clean energy production and storage and protect dwindling freshwater in her arid state. At the COP28 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, the Democratic governor said New Mexico would use the
Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ and Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller Joseph Abruzzo have joined Israel Bonds’ new Government, Industry and Financial Services Leadership Board. “If Hamas stopped fighting today, there would be no more war. If Israel stops fighting, there will be
Ohio for the first time can boast of a trifecta of triple-A ratings after S&P Global Ratings on Friday gave top marks to the state’s issuer and general obligation ratings. “The upgrades reflect our view of Ohio’s demonstrated commitment to active budget management and building and maintaining reserves through economic cycles,” said S&P analyst Rob
Municipals were steady Friday, ignoring weakness in the U.S. Treasury market after the jobs report came in hotter-than-expected. Equities ended up. The November payroll report “was stronger than Wall Street was expecting, and we are already seeing significant upward pressure on Treasury yields,” said Scott Anderson, chief U.S. economist and managing director at BMO Economics.
Moody’s Investors Service raised its outlook on U.S. nonprofit higher education sector to stable from negative on Thursday, citing expected narrowing gaps between expense and revenue growth. Also on Thursday, S&P Global Ratings affirmed its “bifurcated” outlook for the sector, which includes a negative outlook for less selective, more regional institutions without financial flexibility and
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to close a $68 billion shortfall as he wraps up work on the proposed budget for fiscal 2024 that he will present to lawmakers in January. The upshot is that the flooding and massive storms that hit California in early 2023 and pushed income tax filings in the state
Alan Appelbaum, former managing director and head of Aegis Capital Corp.’s municipal bond desk, has agreed to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges that he disregarded his obligations as a broker-dealer and violated antifraud provisions in his recommendation of certain variable interest rate structured products to seven investors. Without admitting or denying the findings, Applebaum,
Texas and its public schools could face future budget pressures in the wake of last month’s passage of a constitutional amendment to decrease school property taxes, Fitch Ratings said Thursday. Proposition 4 was among 12 other constitutional amendments Texas voters approved Nov. 7 with many of the measures tapping surplus state money for tax relief
The Biden administration has awarded $8.2 billion to major train projects across the country that it said would help advance the nation’s first high-speed national network and a series of intracity routes. “The bottom line is that, under President Biden, we’re delivering world class passenger rail service that Americans ought to be able to expect,”
“I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway; I saw the Empire State laid low; And life went on beyond the Palisades; They all bought Cadillacs; And left there long ago.” While Billy Joel wrote those lyrics for Miami 2017 way back in 1975 as New York City sat on a mountain of debt and
The U.S. Treasury Department would be authorized to float up to $1 billion of bonds exempt from state and local taxes to fund climate resiliency projects under a measure introduced Wednesday by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. The bill would allow Treasury to issue “climate bonds” for purchase by “any American” to finance projects undertaken by
Municipals were slightly firmer Thursday as the last of the week’s large new-issues came and went while U.S. Treasuries were little changed and equities ended up ahead of Friday’s much-anticipated jobs report. Triple-A yields fell one to three basis points while USTs yields were relatively flat, only a basis point down out long. Relative value
About 33 years after former junk bond king Michael Milken pleaded guilty to multiple counts of securities and reporting violations, Richard Sandler, his personal attorney and a childhood friend, has published a book on the investigation to “set the record straight.” “I can’t change the fact I wrote it now, rather than years ago,” Sandler
A financial boost from a voter-approved $3.9 billion endowment fund for emerging research institutions in Texas has brightened the rating outlook for the University of Houston System (UHS). S&P Global Ratings this week revised the outlook on the system’s AA rating to positive from stable. “The positive outlook is based on our expectation of an
BNP Paribas Securities Corp. officially opened its Miami office on Wednesday with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by bank officials and local government dignitaries. “Adding Miami as a key location for our corporate and institutional banking business will be an important part in getting closer to our many clients in the South Florida area and
As the Biden Administration attempts to make affordable housing a key issue, some experts and lawmakers would prefer less federal intervention. House Republicans would like to see changes in zoning, interest rates, and a reduced role for the Federal Housing Finance Agency. “As we confront these affordability challenges, what seems to get left out of
Municipals were firmer Wednesday while a busy primary market saw Pennsylvania sell $2.1 billion of general obligation bonds competitively and the New York City Transitional Finance Authority repriced its $1.3 billion of revenue bonds in the negotiated market with yields lowered by up to 12 basis points from Tuesday’s retail offering. Treasuries were firmer five