Bonds

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. Transcription: Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio for the authoritative record. Mike Scarchilli (00:03):Hi everyone and welcome to the Bond Buyer podcast, your go-to source for

Munis were little changed Monday as U.S. Treasuries sold off and equities ended mixed. Following the conclusion of the first quarter, munis are seeing losses for the year with the asset class returning negative 0.39% for the year and March returns were at 0.00%, noted Jason Wong, vice president of municipals at AmeriVet Securities. The

Private activity bonds issued for Los Angeles International Airport’s multi-billion-dollar people mover project were affirmed at junk by Fitch Ratings last week as the public-private project’s completion date was pushed out another six months. Fitch affirmed the speculative-grade BB-plus rating on California Municipal Finance Authority’s $1.2 billion senior lien revenue bonds issued on behalf of

The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $1.5 billion loan to re-start a closed Michigan nuclear reactor, which if finalized would mark the nation’s first recommissioned plant as part of the Bidens administration’s goal of reaching 100% clean energy electricity by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050. The loan, which received conditional approval from the

Bond traders priced in less monetary policy easing by the Federal Reserve this year — and briefly set the odds of a first move in June to less than 50% — after a gauge of U.S. manufacturing activity showed expansion for the first time since 2022. The amount of Fed easing priced into swap contracts

Issuance in March increased for the third consecutive month, helped by a surge in refundings and several billion-plus dollar deals, as increased demand and fewer economic headwinds led to greater issuer confidence. March’s volume rose 7.1% to $36.405 billion in 532 issues from $34.008 billion in 601 issues in 2023. Issuance in March is above the

Asbestos. Lead. Temperatures that reach 115 degrees. Cracks in the ceiling so big you can see the sky. All of these have been found in Pennsylvania’s public schools.  Pennsylvania lawmakers toured schools around the commonwealth last year, and what they found was “nothing short of shameful,” according to State Representative Peter Schweyer.  “I was touring

The Purdue University Trustees priced $72.43 million of student fee bonds Tuesday, joining other issuers in refunding some of the university’s outstanding Build America Bonds. Lead managers Jefferies and Ramirez & Co. priced the deal Wednesday, with Wells Fargo Securities serving as co-manager. The municipal advisor is Blue Rose Capital Advisors. Bond counsel is Ice

Municipals were steady to weaker in spots Thursday ahead of a smaller new-issue calendar while municipal bond mutual funds saw more inflows. U.S. Treasury yields rose 10 years and in and equities ended mixed. LSEG Lipper reported fund inflows of $447 million for the week ending Wednesday following $63.8 million of inflows the prior week.

A proposed $2 billion public private partnership that would have moved two major league sports teams out of Washington D.C. and into a bond-financed, built-from-scratch arena in Northern Virginia is officially off, following an announcement that the District has come to terms on a deal to keep the teams in their current home. On Wednesday,

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green claims the state is making headway toward reducing recovery costs by getting people displaced by fires out of hotels and into permanent housing. Green has faced criticism from lawmakers for not having a cogent housing plan or coherent budget for the costs associated with the August 8 Lahaina wildfires. Lawmakers are

A Colorado bonding authority is taking a step toward purchasing a hotel tied to author Stephen King’s The Shining after an Arizona nonprofit dropped its bond-financed plan to buy and renovate the property.  The Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority (CECFA), which would have been the conduit issuer for up to $475 million of cultural

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board voted 11-1 to adopt its congestion pricing toll structure, the first of its kind in the nation and a key source of funding for the MTA’s upcoming capital projects. The vote will allow congestion pricing to be implemented as planned in mid-June. However, the congestion pricing plan is

With tax season in full swing, the muni market is underperforming and facing selling pressure as investors move out of short-term paper to pay tax blls. However, these dynamics have not made the asset class an undesirable option for investors and most expect demand to remain strong. Munis are returning negative 0.06% month-to-date, while USTs

New Yorkers are feeling less satisfied and more uneasy today than they were only six years ago, according to a survey done by the Citizens Budget Commission. The results of the CBC’s 2023 Resident Survey released March 19 reveals that Big Apple residents rate their quality of life much lower than they did in a

The Public Finance Authority’s $246.7 million tax-exempt revenue bond deal for Miami Worldcenter will help finance one of the largest urban development projects underway in the United States and provide high-yield investors with attractive yields. The deal, priced by senior manager D.A. Davidson & Co. and co-managing underwriter Truist Securities Tuesday, came with two term

Municipals were mixed Wednesday, but selling pressure was evident on the short end, as few deals of size priced in the primary market and balances from Tuesday’s large new-issues were digested. Munis underperformed a stronger U.S. Treasury market while equities ended up. Despite weakness Wednesday and Tuesday, munis have “held in pretty well,” with yields

Investors and credit rating agencies are weighing how much effect the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore’s inner harbor will have on the local economy and logistics on the East Coast, though early indications suggest no drastic credit impact. Early Tuesday morning the Singapore-flagged container vessel Dali lost power and crashed into a

A Washington state hospital district’s ratings fell further into junk territory and were placed on review for further downgrade, reflecting what Moody’s Ratings called “severe and immediate liquidity challenges.” Moody’s downgraded to B1 from Ba3 Whidbey Island Public Hospital District’s Series 2013 unlimited tax general obligation (GOULT) bonds affecting $43.9 million in debt. Moody’s also

Lack of operating Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority generating capacity has raised concerns about PREPA’s ability to provide adequate service and about bondholders’ ability to gain a better recovery if they win an appeal. Last week, Genera PR, the private operator of PREPA’s generation system, released a status summary of PREPA’s generation facilities as of

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, The Bond Buyer highlighted the trailblazing women of the public finance industry. From bankers to bond counsel and city CFOs to state treasurers, the private and public sectors include leaders in the municipal market