Bonds

State and local governments are starting to appropriate billions of dollars flowing in from the offer of settlement made by three major pharmaceutical companies due to the opioid addiction crisis. The often quoted $26 billion figure is tied to an offer to settle unveiled in February 2022 by three large pharmaceutical opioid distributors, McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health
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Following Fitch Ratings downgrading the U.S. sovereign rating to AA-plus from AAA, the rating agency has downgraded certain municipal bonds tied directly to the creditworthiness of the country. Despite this, market participants say the muni market will see little impact. The bonds affected are “pre-refunded bonds whose repayments are wholly dependent on ‘AA+’-rated United States
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Nearly two years after Texas laws banning state and local contracts with companies that “boycott” the fossil fuel industry or “discriminate” against firearm businesses took effect, investment banks are still struggling with compliance concerns. Wells Fargo is the latest bank to be scrutinized under the firearm law just weeks after being selected for a state
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Municipals sold off Thursday, following U.S. Treasury losses after more economic data suggested the U.S. economy is strong enough to potentially warrant more rate hikes in the fall. Equities ended down. Ahead of Friday’s jobs report, Wall Street is “watching a global bond market selloff get uglier as U.S. stocks waver ahead of massive earnings
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Louisiana has tapped a consortium led by Plenary Americas as the private sector partner to negotiate a 50-year public-private partnership to replace the aging Calcasieu River bridge on Interstate 10. Calcasieu Bridge Partners is a joint venture of Plenary Americas US Holdings, Inc., which holds a 40% equity stake, and Sacyr Infrastructure USA LLC, and
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Municipals were weaker Wednesday as investors digested another larger new-issue slate, August redemption dollars, better-than expected economic data and the Fitch downgrade to the United States’ rating. U.S. Treasury yields rose slightly out long and equities sold off. The weakness in munis and UST resulted partly from the ADP Employment Report that showed 324,000 jobs were
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U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., and representatives of several U.S. territories filed a bill Monday that would require federal departments to have advisors on territorial affairs. If passed, the bill would create an office in each federal department “to oversee matters impacting the U.S. territories within their jurisdiction,” said Rep. Jenniffer González Colón, R-Puerto Rico.
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Municipals were lightly traded and mostly steady Monday while U.S. Treasuries were slightly firmer from Friday’s levels and equities closed in the black. With muni returns in positive territory to end the month and supply down 8% for the month and 16% for the year, the calendar flips to the final month of the muni
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The Puerto Rico Oversight Board and Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders reached agreement in principle on one issue as hints emerged that parties were nearing a settlement. The board and PREPA bond parties on Friday told U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain they had reached “an agreement in principle to resolve the outstanding perfection
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Environmental, social, and governance capital programs continue to flourish under increased scrutiny, said one presenter at a recent securities industry event. Climate change may be nothing new, said Trenton J. Allen, CEO of Sustainable Capital Advisors, but the “growing appetite” for suitably focused investments is, and issuers and investors alike can benefit from strategies to
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Munis were weaker to close out the week, playing catch up to Thursday’s larger U.S. Treasury losses and preparing for a larger new-issue calendar led by billion-dollar issues from the New York Dormitory Authority and triple-A rated Minnesota, along with multiple large deals from Texas school districts. U.S. Treasuries were firmer Friday and equities rallied.
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Congress adjourned for its long summer break Thursday still far apart on top-line 2024 spending levels with only a few weeks left to reconcile the difference. There are also looming deadlines to pass a new farm bill and reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. Congress faces a partial government shutdown if it hasn’t passed funding bills
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The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has voted to move ahead with its controversial amendments to Rule G-14 on trade reporting, changing the trade reporting window to one minute from 15 minutes. That was approved during its quarterly board meeting that took place July 26-27, during which the board also approved a new $47 million budget
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Munis yields rose Thursday, following and outperforming a U.S. Treasury sell-off on the heels of strong-than-expected economic data. Equities ended down. Thursday’s “economic data offers the latest evidence that the U.S. economy is weathering the fastest rate hikes in a generation without much damage to the major gear-works of the economy,” said Wells Fargo Securities
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