Bonds

Municipals were mixed Wednesday as a large primary calendar led by deals from the Texas Water Development Board and state of Illinois took the focus away from the secondary, while outflows ramped up to $2.7 billion, the largest figure since late June. U.S. Treasuries rallied hard with yields falling up to a quarter-point and equities

Under the oversight of a state review board, the troubled finances of West Haven, Connecticut, are moving in the right direction, according to Moody’s Investors Service, which last week affirmed the city’s Baa3 general obligation bond rating after a two-month review. Financial mismanagement and federal corruption charges have dogged the New Haven suburb, which is

A federal judge last week struck down Rhode Island’s first-of-its-kind trucks-only tolling program, notching a win for the interstate transportation industry that had sued the state over the law. The state has 30 days to appeal.   Opponents said the Sept. 21 ruling will send a message to other states considering similar tolling programs to

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been bouncing around the country making appearances fueling further talk of a presidential run, has signed hundreds of bills ahead of Thursday’s deadline to sign or veto bills the Legislature sent him. The final bill signings also serve as a demarcation of sorts for when the governor moves from

Municipal yields climbed again Monday amid elevated secondary selling pressure following a major U.S. Treasury selloff while equities also ended in the red as global bond market uncertainties rattle all markets. Triple-A municipal yields rose as much as 18 basis points on the short end, with the one-year just below or above 3%, further flattening

Municipals extended their selloff on the front of the curve Friday following U.S. Treasuries while equities sold off. Triple-A yields rose 11 to 15 basis points five years and in, depending on the scale, while UST saw smaller losses on the short end and improved slightly out long. Two- and three-year muni-UST ratios climbed to

Owners of the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey,want a downward reassessment of the shopping center’s property assessment, a move that if successful will reduce the amount of money paid to the municipality via a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes bond agreement. Those PILOT payments back $800 million of tax-exempt bonds issued to fund completion of the

Illinois basked in a brighter fiscal picture as it met with the buy side this week than it did at its last event in 2019 when its ratings sat on the verge of junk, but investors still fret over how the state would weather a potential recession and its prospects for further progress. Illinois’ top

The municipal market has grown in overall size, market value has fallen and retail ownership trends are shifting amid the massive outflows from municipal bond mutual funds this year, the latest Federal Reserve data show. Retail investors may be moving out of mutual funds and into separately managed accounts, largely due to the headline shock

Walk the walk, not talk the talk on fighting climate change and supporting environmental, social and governance goals, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander told BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on Thursday. Voicing concern that BlackRock Inc.’s investment actions don’t match up with its ESG policy commitments, Lander sent a letter to the company requesting immediate

Municipals were hit hard on the front end of the curve but the damage was felt throughout as triple-A yields rose up to 15 basis points and mutual fund outflows topped $2 billion. U.S. Treasuries sold off and equities were mixed. Municipal yields rose up to 15 basis points on the one- and two-year with

Kaufman Hall & Associates LLC will acquire the consulting firm Claro Healthcare to scale up on the depth of its professional services for hospital and health systems that are navigating ongoing COVID-19 wounds made worse by a labor shortage and high expenses. Kaufman Hall, which specializes in the healthcare and higher education sectors, said Thursday

State legislatures could see a record number of new faces elected in November.  More than 25% of the 6,278 state legislative seats up for election will see a newcomer. Heated primary battles ousted a surprising number of Republican incumbents, and the recent redistricting, as always, has led to an increased rate of open seats. State-level

The failed endeavor to build the Carolina Panthers football franchise a new headquarters in York County, South Carolina, has resulted in a thorny legal battle over who is to blame. Construction on the planned $800 million mixed-used facility in Rock Hill, meant to include state-of-the-art training facilities, office space, millions in utility investments, and green

States need more federal flexibility and consistency to be able to deliver the transportation projects promised in the new infrastructure law, state transportation officials told the Senate Wednesday. “State DOTs are going to be delivering the largest capital programs we’ve ever done and so listening to the states and giving the states the flexibility to

Municipals sold off across the yield curve amid elevated selling pressure as the first day of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting began Tuesday, with the one-year muni well above 2.5% and the 10-year surpassing 3%. U.S. Treasuries were weaker and equities ended down. Triple-A benchmark yields rose eight to 10 basis points, depending on

Midwest voters will make a range of decisions in the November election from ballot measures that impact their schools’ fiscal fortunes to governor picks that will shape future decision making. The governor’s offices in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. Incumbents in all

Municipals were weaker on the front end of the curve ahead outperforming larger losses on U.S. Treasuries that saw the two- and three-year yields rise to near 4% and the highest they’ve been since 2007. Triple-A muni yields rose another five basis points on the short end while UST rose up to seven. Two- and

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has voted to amend its Rule G-40 to allow municipal advisors to use testimonials in advertisements and Rule A-12 to make changes to Form A-12 on registration. The changes to G-40 will amend the current provision that states “a municipal advisor shall not, directly or indirectly, publish circulate or distribute

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority mediation ended Saturday morning and the Oversight Board is proposing that litigation commence, as the sides were unable to reach an agreement. “[S]harp differences over what a reasonable settlement is” remain, the board said. The sides “also differ on some key legal issues.” The current round of mediation started in

With their revenues beating expectations through stronger-than-expected tax receipts and federal pandemic aid, many states have used the extra funds to pay down unfunded pension liabilities accrued in some cases over decades, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts report on state pension systems. The combination of increased contributions and surging investment returns “has had a