Bonds

The municipal bond market shrank, retail continues to access it, and broker-dealer holdings have grown, the latest Federal Reserve data show. Fed data show the outstanding universe of munis shrinking in the third quarter in terms of both par basis and market value, said Matt Fabian, a partner at Municipal Market Analytics. The value of
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Against the backdrop of a persistent drought, Arizona made an initial move toward the possibility of piping desalinated water from the Gulf of California in Mexico to the land-locked state’s growing population. The Arizona Water Infrastructure Finance Authority approved a resolution Dec. 20 allowing the agency to evaluate a proposal from Israel-based IDE Technologies that envisions
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Municipals finished out the last trading day of the year little changed in an abbreviated session that saw Treasury yields rise and equity prices fall. “Bond investors bid a not-so-fond farewell to 2022 as they look forward to a much more attractive 2023,” said Bryce Doty, senior vice president at Sit Investment Associates. The markets
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Total 2022 municipal bond sale volume plunged 21% from 2021, as issuers were flush with cash and rising interest rates stymied refundings and taxable issuances. December municipal bond issuance, at $17.165 billion, also disappointed, dropping 58.1% from the same period a year earlier. The muni market saw $384.086 billion of debt issued in 2022, nearly
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The U.S. Virgin Islands would privatize its only two airports under a process launched Thursday that would mark the second long-term lease for a U.S.-based airport asset. The Virgin Islands Port Authority Thursday released an RFQ outlining a relatively fast-paced process that aims to select a final team by the end of 2023 with groundbreaking
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Municipals were weaker in spots Thursday as outflows from mutual funds lessened. U.S. Treasuries were firmer five years and out and equities rallied. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 60%, the five-year at 64%, the 10-year at 68% and the 30-year at 91%, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. read. ICE Data Services had the
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Public infrastructure will glide into 2023 supported by massive federal aid, but the rising cost of projects could trip up the country’s national rebuilding plan. Macroeconomic uncertainties like material prices, labor shortages, high interest rates and slowing economic growth may make capital financing more expensive. And that may prompt cautious local and state leaders, who
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Municipals were weaker in spots Wednesday as outflows from mutual funds continued. U.S. Treasuries were mixed and equities ended down. Triple-A benchmark yields were cut up to five basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields fell up to five basis points out long. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 60%, the five-year at
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Municipals were weaker Tuesday, outperforming a U.S. Treasury sell-off, while equities were mixed. Municipals were cut up to six basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields rose as much as 12 basis points. Muni-UST ratios were steady Tuesday. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 59%, the five-year at 64%, the 10-year at 67%
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Liquidity and equity remain the top concern for municipal market participants who deal in high-yield securities. Nearly 20% of respondents to a HilltopSecurities high-yield team survey ranked liquidity and equity as their first concern for 2023. Management and covenant package ranked second and third, respectively. “In today’s environment, liquidity can help protect a myriad of
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Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders objected to the Oversight Board’s proposed plan of adjustment and asked that the discovery process begin immediately. “There is no conceivable benefit to interested parties or the court from forcing all parties to sit on their hands for more than two months before plan-related discovery begins, only then to
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The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board approved a $19.2 billion budget for 2023 and a four-year financial plan. The budget includes a 5.5% fare increase for next year and envisions a 4% increase in 2025. “I’ve been talking about the financial crisis facing the MTA for many months,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said
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The Puerto Rico Oversight Board defended its latest actions in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy and rejected bondholder and unsecured creditor challenges to its proposals. The urgent motion filed Dec. 16 was “purely administrative in nature,” requesting the scheduling of a disclosure statement hearing, deadlines for briefing on the disclosure statement and the
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West Virginia municipalities will receive fresh federal funds to address dated waste infrastructure networks long overdue for upgrades. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Program will provide $2.2 million for “18 critical projects across West Virginia,” the state’s two senators said Tuesday in a news release, supporting efforts ranging from upgrades to telecommunications technology
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Placer County, California, has been a leader in creating public finance solutions. Much of that, according to public finance professionals and county leaders, can be attributed to one person: Jenine Windeshausen, the county’s long-serving treasurer-tax collector, who is retiring at year-end. “Jenine gained a reputation for bringing creative financial solutions, and innovative entrepreneurial programs and
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Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., introduced legislation Wednesday that would eliminate more than half of the regional Federal Reserve banks and subject the remaining banks to additional federal rules and restrictions. The bill, titled the Federal Reserve Accountability Act, would reduce the number of regional Federal Reserve banks from 12 to five; require bank presidents to
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S&P Global Ratings lifted the University of Illinois back into the double-A category citing the flagship public university’s surpluses and healthier state government finances that reduce the threat of aid cuts. S&P last week raised the rating to AA-minus from A-plus. The upgrade impacts auxiliary facilities system revenue bonds and certifications of participation. The university
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