Bonds

Flanked by officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday hosted a groundbreaking for a terminal project she said will cap John F. Kennedy International Airport’s $18 billion redevelopment. “The groundbreaking offers a complete vision for the modernized global gateway,” Hochul said at a ceremony held

Municipals were mixed to end the week as U.S. Treasury yields rose double-digits five years and in and equities ended down. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 61%, the five-year at 62%, the 10-year at 66% and the 30-year at 91%, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. ET read. ICE Data Services had the three

S&P Global Ratings upgraded Illinois by one notch Thursday for ongoing progress in chipping away at its debts and rebuilding its rainy day fund. The action — lifting $26.5 billion of general obligation bonds to A-minus from BBB-plus — puts the state back into the single-A category for the first time in seven years and

Municipals were mixed Thursday as outflows from muni mutual funds intensified. U.S. Treasuries were firmer, and equities ended up. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 63%, the five-year at 64%, the 10-year at 67% and the 30-year at 92%, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. ET read. ICE Data Services had the three at 63%,

Rejecting nearly all of the challenges to its disclosure statement and plan of adjustment in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy, the Puerto Rico Oversight Board attempted to explain why National Public Finance Guarantee could get preferential treatment. National’s treatment is permissible since it is supported by a “legitimate basis,” the board said, citing

Veteran municipal bond banker and industry expert Peter Hill has joined Ramirez & Co. as a senior managing director effective Wednesday, according to the firm. In his new role, Hill will work alongside Ted Sobel, head of public finance and with other senior executives, continuing to grow and expand the 51-year-old minority-owned investment banking, brokerage,

Bondholders, bond insurer Syncora Guarantee, bond trustee U.S. Bank National Association, and others launched new attacks on the Puerto Rico Oversight Board’s proposed Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority disclosure statement and plan of adjustment. These groups and a committee of claim assignees for National Public Finance Guarantee-insured PREPA bonds all objected to the plan’s superior

A bill introduced in California’s legislature would prohibit banks or lenders with business customers that manufacture firearms from working on the state’s public finances. Senate Bill 637, introduced Thursday by California Sen. Dave Min, D-Costa Mesa, applies to every aspect of the state’s public finances including municipal bonds, capital projects and the state’s debt portfolio,

The Georgia Ports Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers have signed an agreement to expand the Port of Brunswick, a move state officials said will help prepare the port for expansion. The agreement, announced Monday, clears the way for the Corps to begin dredging and widening certain sections of the port to accommodate larger

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is seeking comment on draft amendments to Rules G-47 on time of trade disclosures and D-15, which defines the sophisticated municipal market professional. The draft amendments to Rule G-47 codifies existing guidance, adds additional disclosures that may be material, retires and consolidates certain elements of interpretive guidance and makes other

Two of the Federal Reserve board’s seven governors abstained from supporting the selection of former Obama aide Austan Goolsbee to become president of the Chicago Fed, according to a record of the vote. Governors Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller, who were both appointed to the board by former President Donald Trump, withheld their support for

Tax-exempt bonds for sports stadiums are once again in the crosshairs under a bill introduced this week by Oregon Democrat Rep. Earl Blumenauer. The bill would amend the tax code – or “close a loophole,” as Blumenauer said – to eliminate the federal tax exemption for bonds that finance or refinance capital expenditures for a

Property tax cuts and expanded school vouchers will be fast tracked for consideration by Texas lawmakers after Gov. Greg Abbott included them in a list of emergency items for the legislative session. In his Thursday evening State of the State address, the Republican governor also said he will soon announce a $100 billion transportation infrastructure

Municipals were weaker Friday ahead of a holiday-shortened week with a smaller new-issue calendar. U.S. Treasuries were firmer, and equities ended mixed. Triple-A benchmarks were cut three to 11 basis points, depending on the scale, pushing the one-year muni above 3% and the 30-year to 3.50%. UST yields fell two to five basis points. Muni-UST

A big Texas bond deal to recover extraordinary costs incurred by natural gas utilities during a fierce 2021 winter storm finally won approval Friday from a state board, paving the way for pricing next month.  The Texas Bond Review Board approved the issuance of up to $3.6 billion of taxable customer rate relief bonds by

The Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. plans to price $135 million of special revenue bonds Wednesday to support its affordable mortgage program for first-time and lower income home buyers. The issuer, also known as RIHousing, is the state’s housing finance agency. The largest of the three tranches of Homeownership Opportunity Bonds is the

Municipals extended their sell-off Thursday, as the front end of the curve was hit the hardest. U.S. Treasuries were weaker, and equities ended in the red. Triple-A benchmarks were cut 13 to 17 basis points at the one-year, depending on the scale, pushing it to around 3%. Muni-UST ratios rose on the short end. The

The municipal bond market has always operated at the intersection of politics and finance, but lately politics seem to have taken center stage. The latest salvo comes from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement this week that The Sunshine State would move to ban local and state issuers from consideration of environmental, social and governance factors

Municipals sold off Wednesday in secondary trading, with the short end seeing the largest cuts, as several large deals priced in the primary. U.S. Treasuries were weaker and equities ended mixed after a strong retail sales report. Triple-A benchmark yields were cut six to 16 basis points, depending on the scale, pushing the one-year muni

S&P Global Ratings’ seven-notch downgrade of a Chicago suburb’s full faith and credit pledge over default events on unrated revenue bonds casts a spotlight on management and governance factors and the risks they pose to the value of general obligation bonds. The issue has captured the attention of market participants with Fitch Ratings, which does

Municipals were weaker Tuesday, while USTs saw yields rise and equities ended mixed after a hotter-than-expected consumer price index report showed inflation may take longer to combat, and require higher rates, than the Federal Reserve planned. Triple-A benchmarks were cut one to six basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields rose nine to