Bonds

The Internal Revenue Service has revised its Form 8038-CP to facilitate electronic filing, which will be out later this year. “The January 2022 revisions simplifies the filing process for issuers when providing certain explanations and supplemental information,” the IRS said in an instructional video introducing the new form. “Additionally, revisions to the form were needed

Local officials Friday hailed the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rollout of a nearly $28 billion bridge program that highlights spending on smaller, local bridges across the country. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $40 billion in funding for bridges over the next five years, including $27.5 billion in the Bridge Formula Program. The program

Chicago Public Schools’ $872 million of junk-rated paper met with a more fickle high-yield audience this week, underscoring the district’s vulnerability to market volatility even as it inches closer to investment grade status. At attractive spreads that offered a healthy yield kick with many maturities offering 4% coupons, the bonds were 2.2 times oversubscribed, CPS

Municipals ended the week steady to slightly weaker in spots, even as U.S. Treasuries sold off and equities ended mixed on inflation concerns and more hawkish Fed speak. Municipal yields have risen in response to Treasuries, but were mostly unmoved by Friday’s selloff, again lagging taxable counterparts as munis are wont to do on a

With the turn of each New Year comes a time for change and high hopes. These feelings are commonly felt as we exchange our calendars, both as an opportunity to shake off any challenges faced in the year prior, and as a chance to reflect on our goals and set new ones. For investors in

Municipal benchmark yields were steady to firmer by a basis point 10-years and out Thursday as U.S. Treasuries were stronger and equities sold off led by tech stocks. The municipal primary dominated the day with several large deals pricing. The correction to higher yields over the past week is allowing investors to be more selective

Cuyahoga County hits the market Thursday with a mix of taxable and tax-exempt sales-tax-backed bonds to help finance a $435 million upgrade to the home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians. The sale offers $123.4 million of ballpark improvement project tax-exempt paper and $67.5 million of taxables with maturities through 2037. KeyBanc Capital Markets and

Municipal bonds were largely unchanged Wednesday, the first session in a week in which benchmark yield curves were not cut, while the primary provided more guidance for a supply-starved market. U.S. Treasuries were flat 10-years and in, but softer on the long bond and equities ended in the black. Municipal to UST ratios rose slightly

When the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power brings a $375 million deal this week, the bonds are not likely to be dinged by the one-notch downgrade to AA-minus from Fitch Ratings in April, nor the news in December that a former general manager had pleaded guilty to felony bribery. A retail order period

Municipal secondary selling pressure remained elevated on bonds inside 10 years while the larger primary got underway and deals saw bumps in repricings as U.S. Treasuries made small gains and equities rallied. Triple-A benchmark yields saw one to four basis point cuts while U.S. Treasuries ended the session better. Municipal to UST ratios rose slightly

The omicron variant of COVID-19 overshadowed expectations that California lawmakers could spend this budget year focused on how to spend an anticipated $26.6 billion surplus as Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed $286.4 billion fiscal 2023 budget. In a Saturday preview ahead of his Monday budget press conference, Newsom asked lawmakers to immediately approve $1.4

Municipal yields rose again Monday by three to six basis points on elevated selling pressure while short U.S. Treasuries saw pressure and equities ended mixed. Municipal to UST ratios rose slightly on the day’s moves. The five-year was at 50%, 67% in 10 and 78% in 30, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. read. ICE

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin announced plans Thursday to run for state controller entering an increasingly congested race. The termed-out Galperin seeks to replace State Controller Betty Yee, who also terms out this year. He throws his hat into a race that already includes Republican Lanhee Chen, a former George W. Bush White House

Among the U.S. Virgin Islands government’s many problems is an economy that shrunk 24% in real terms from 2009 to 2019. The territory’s economy has continued to struggle in the past two years, with the islands’ employment down 9.5% through from February 2020 to October 2021, according to New York Federal Reserve Bank Early Benchmarked

The United States Department of Justice on Friday told the Puerto Rico bankruptcy judge it would defend the constitutionality of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, the law governing the bankruptcy process that has been challenged by several parties. The move may slow the confirmation process of the Plan of Adjustment. U.S.

The lingering effects of federal aid should help not-for-profit hospital ratings weather the COVID-19 pandemic’s wounds even as labor shortages and other strains persist through 2022, S&P Global Ratings said. “Our view remains stable as the sector continues to weather the pandemic well — albeit with the benefit of significant federal aid,” S&P said in

The Department of the Treasury has issued its final ruling on its State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, leaving the controversial tax cut ban mandate virtually untouched as it hopes to restrict the use of stimulus funds to offset tax cuts. “Congress specified two types of ineligible uses of funds: funds may not be used

Municipals ended the week with another round of cuts to triple-A scales, moving yields higher by another five basis points, playing catch-up to the selloff in U.S. Treasuries. Muni yields rose 13 basis points across the yield curve to end the first week of 2022. The five-year UST rose 15 basis points to a high

Illinois-based NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health finalized their proposed merger this week, launching the start of 2022 merger and acquisition activity. The deal comes after closing the books on a year that saw a downtick in the number of mergers but an upswing in transaction size measured by revenue. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s impact

Municipal triple-A benchmark yields rose as much as eight basis points on the short end on certain scales Thursday as U.S. Treasury yields remained elevated and equities see-sawed as more hawkish Fed speak continued. The Federal Reserve expects Omicron to fizzle in weeks, and while pandemic-related risks remain, the economy is strong and the Fed

While U.S. Treasuries and equities sold off after release of the FOMC minutes, municipals were largely unchanged on Wednesday, pointing again to a lack of primary supply to provide yield guidance as participants sit back and watch what unfolds in broader markets. The Federal Reserve’s tone has turned more hawkish in the latest meetings, “and

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration appears close to naming a Treasury Department veteran and leading voice on fighting climate-related financial risk to the top bank-regulatory job at the Federal Reserve Board. Sarah Bloom Raskin — who was the No. 2 at Treasury and a Fed governor in the Obama administration — has emerged as the

The U.S. Department of Transportation is floating guidance for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding that state transportation advocates warn restricts highway capacity projects and signals a new strings-attached policy for federal programs. The Dec. 16 policy memo from Federal Highway Administration Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack to FWHA staff outlines goals and priorities for

Selling pressure picked up and municipals showed some weakness for the first time since November on Tuesday following two days of rising U.S. Treasuries, but the asset class still outperformed that market’s double-digit moves to higher yields. Triple-A benchmark yield curves saw two to three basis point cuts, the largest one-day move in either direction

Jeffrey Poley has joined Hawkins Delafield & Wood LLP as it opens an office in Raleigh, North Carolina, the firm announced on Tuesday. The new office is the firm’s first in the Southeast region. Poley’s practice is focused primarily on financings for hospitals, higher education institutions and continuing care retirement communities. “The opportunity to welcome

The U.S. Treasury market sold off in double-digits to start 2022 and equities were better on Monday while munis saw a softer tone, but most triple-A yield curves only saw a basis point cut in spots. Municipal to UST ratios fell on the moves in UST. The five-year was at 44%, 64% in 10 and

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s priorities for 2022 include responding to its recently released request for information on environmental, social and governance practices, updates to its EMMALabs system and further requests for comment and information in hopes of modernizing its rulebook. Unlike some recent years past, the MSRB doesn’t come into the new calendar year

Buffalo has spent generations trying to beat back its bad weather reputation. A hotel guidebook in the western New York city shows sailboats out on the water on a sunny day, with a headline that reads: “This is the Buffalo you don’t see on the Weather Channel.” But that is not the image people generally

A majority of municipal market participants say liquidity and equity are a top concern on a high-yield deal. Nearly 69% of respondents to a HilltopSecurities high-yield team survey ranked liquidity and equity as their first or second level of concern for 2022. “Our biggest takeaway from the survey is that there is ample appetite for

Louisiana has asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by an Arizona-based online business that argues the state’s local sales and use tax collection system is unconstitutionally complex, a complaint that probes the Supreme Court’s high-profile 2018 South Dakota v. Wayfair ruling. Arizona-based Halstead Bead Inc. on Nov. 15 filed the lawsuit in