Bonds

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 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

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

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

The North Carolina Local Government Commission has approved the North Carolina Turnpike Authority’s request to issue up to $1.1 billion of revenue bonds and secure a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan. At its Tuesday meeting, the LCG approved the authority’s plans to finance over $1 billion of work on Phase 2 of the

Municipals improved amid a large new-issue slate pricing in the primary while U.S. Treasuries were back in the black and equities were mixed throughout the day. Triple-A yields fell three to four basis points, depending on the scale, while USTs saw the largest gains out long. The primary market is robust this week, with several

Municipals were little changed Monday, while U.S. Treasuries were weaker and equities ended down. November was a “positive month” for munis as triple-A yields fell on an average of 89 basis points, bringing month-to-date returns of 6.35% and pushing year-to-date returns to 3.98% through the end of the month, Jason Wong, vice president of municipals

Two years into a public-private partnership to rebuild and take over the New York State Thruway Authority’s service areas, the project is 225 days behind schedule, a delay that has led to a technical default and prompted Fitch Ratings to revise its outlook to negative from stable. AECOM Tishman, the design-build contractor who is responsible

Moody’s Investors Service Friday lifted Ohio’s issuer default and general obligation ratings to triple-A based on strong financial management and an economy that’s “poised for diversification and growth.” The state now boasts the coveted top issuer rating from Moody’s and Fitch Ratings, which upgraded it in September, 2022. S&P Global Ratings pegs the state one

Municipals were firmer Friday ahead of a large new-issue calendar, which boasts billion-dollar-plus deals from Pennsylvania and the New York City Transitional Finance Authority along with a sizable taxable Hawaii general obligation bond deal. U.S. Treasuries were rallying and equities were up near the close. Triple-A yields fell up to six basis points, depending on

The highly publicized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis v. California Gov. Gavin Newsom debate frequently devolved into a shoutfest. Fox News moderator Sean Hannity mostly stuck to his promise to moderate and not join the debate after introducing himself as a well-known conservative. Democrat Newsom, who recently outed himself as a friend of Hannity’s, said he

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholder GoldenTree Asset Management and bond insurer Syncora Guarantee gave notice they will appeal several PREPA bankruptcy decisions. The appeal, announced Thursday, covers all “interlocutory orders merging into the final judgment,” issued by U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain Tuesday for an adversary proceeding that the Oversight Board filed in

A $2.6 billion terminal renovation at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport was officially launched Thursday, while a feud over bond financing for the project continues between the city’s mayor and controller.  Mayor Sylvester Turner joined United Airlines officials at the airport to highlight the Terminal B project, which includes the expansion of 40 gates to

Water systems will need to turn to municipal bonds, federal loans, state revolving funds and federal legislative help to meet a new Environmental Protection proposal requiring water systems to replace all lead pipes within the decade. “It’s a big task,” said Dan Hartnett, chief advocacy officer at the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. “We’ll be

Municipals were firmer to close out the month, outperforming U.S. Treasury market losses Thursday, while the California Community Choice Financing Authority jumped into the primary with $1 billion-plus of clean energy revenue bonds, joining other issuers that moved up deals to take advantage of the strong market conditions. Municipals are poised to return well over