Bonds

A top-rated Texas program that guarantees public school bonds may be nearing a shutdown after its projected available capacity fell to just $653 million at the end of October.  The big drop from $3.52 billion at the end of September comes amid a huge wave of voter-approved school debt in the state. The Texas Permanent

Flood-stricken Kentucky counties still struggling to repair water networks are set to receive $10.6 million in federal assistance to help turn the taps back on, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a press conference Thursday. “Water and sewage infrastructure will be the largest cost of rebuilding,” Beshear said, revealing the state’s most recent damage assessment for

Municipals were little changed Friday as U.S. Treasuries pared back losses to end the day mixed after the morning shock of the hotter-than-expected jobs report sent them selling off. Equities ended mixed. The three-year muni-UST ratio Wednesday was at 62%, the five-year at 69%, the 10-year at 74% and the 30-year at 97%, according to

Municipals rallied on the short end to kick off December with the one-year triple-A muni dropping below 2.50%. U.S. Treasuries rallied across the curve, and equities were mixed. Triple-A yields fell up to 10 basis points on the short end and made gains across the curve. UST improved with the largest gains out long. The

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy Judge Laura Taylor Swain approved a one-week delay of Thursday night’s deadline for an Oversight Board proposed plan of adjustment. The mediators in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy asked earlier on Thursday for the delay, citing a lack of data and analyses they were seeking from the

The municipal market strengthened throughout the session Wednesday as Federal Reserve Board ChairJerome Powell said smaller interest rate increases are likely ahead — and could start as early as next month. U.S. Treasuries and equities rallied following Powell’s comments. Triple-A yields fell by two to four basis points with the best performance on bonds 10

Puerto Rico government agencies and authorities completed their approval of extending LUMA Energy’s operation of the island’s electrical transmission and distribution system Wednesday. LUMA took over the system in June 2021 based on a short-term supplementary agreement that was supposed to be replaced by a 15-year Operating and Maintenance agreement on Thursday. However, that agreement

The Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation has sold $3.1 million of bonds on behalf of the Paul Cuffee School, a Providence-based, kindergarten through 12th-grade public charter school. “RIHEBC’s mission is to help Rhode Island’s health and educational institutions meet their facilities needs, and that’s exactly what this $3.1 million bond issue will do,” said

Municipals were firmer Tuesday in a constructive secondary market while two large new-issues from the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts led the primary. U.S. Treasuries were weaker, and equities ended down. Triple-A benchmark yields fell up to seven basis points on the short end, depending on the scale, while

The public agency that owns the stadium built for the former St. Louis Rams votes this week on an agreement to divvy up a $790 million settlement over the team’s 2016 departure, setting the stage for debate over how to put the funds to use. The tentative agreement to distribute the settlement reached with the

Municipals were better to start the week in constructive secondary trading while U.S. Treasuries pared back earlier gains to close the session mixed and equities ended in the red. Triple-A yields fell three to five basis points along the curve while UST were little changed to weaker by a basis point on the short end.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport Monday won final federal approval to launch construction on a global terminal project that is a centerpiece of the airport’s 10-year, $12.1 billion capital plan.   O’Hare is “an absolute powerhouse that in turn makes Chicago and Chicagoland a powerhouse for the American economy,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday when

Hawaii Gov. David Ige released a list of $392 million in capital improvement projects Monday that will be paid for with funding approved by lawmakers earlier this fall. The projects — that will be administered by the appropriate state departments — support priorities Ige said he has advocated for during his eight years as governor.

Despite a negative return in the latest quarter, New York State’s retirement fund is “built to weather the ups and downs of the markets,” even with an investment environment termed “challenging,” according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The New York State Common Retirement Fund’s estimated value at the end of the second quarter

Increased activity at Houston airports led S&P Global Ratings to boost certain ratings by a notch as the city eyes debt issuance for the three-airport system in the first quarter of 2023. The rating agency raised the system’s subordinate-lien general airport revenue bond rating to A-plus from A with a stable outlook affecting about $2.2

A non-profit Texas corporation that defaulted on bonds sold to purchase two senior living facilities in Oklahoma aims to sell those assets through its recent bankruptcy filing. Leading Life Senior Living, Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Nov. 18 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, sold $30.275 million of tax-exempt

As revenue projections inch toward pre-pandemic norms, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans on more capital spending heading into new year, according to its recently proposed fiscal 2023 budget. “We are laser-focused on building a future that benefits all users of our facilities and supports the entire region’s economy,” Port Authority

The U.S. higher education sector is pressured by declining enrollment and inflation-adjusted tuition revenue declines, according to Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings. In the current fiscal year median enrollment is expected to decline by 0.4% for private universities and by 1.3% for public ones compared to the preceding fiscal year, said Moody’s Senior Credit

Municipals saw healthy secondary trading on the short-end of the yield curve Wednesday, while U.S. Treasuries saw larger gains out long and equities improved after the Federal Open Market Committee minutes showed an expectation of slowing rate hikes. The improved tone continued Wednesday, with triple-A muni yields falling up to nine basis points on the

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders, insurers and the PREPA bond trustee defended their lien on authority revenues in a bankruptcy adversary proceeding. Responding to the Oversight Board’s filing in the lien adversary proceeding, bondholders said their liens extend beyond money in the Sinking Fund and Self-Insurance Fund to revenues generally including future revenues and

Municipals were firmer Tuesday on the short end, while U.S. Treasury yields saw larger gains five years and out. Equities closed in the black as the markets digested more Fedspeak. While Federal Reserve members have continued to emphasize the need to continue tightening, comments from San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly indicated a “pause is

Municipals were little changed in light trading Monday as a holiday-shortened week with lackluster supply kept it steady for the asset class, while U.S. Treasuries were mixed and equities ended down. The three-year muni-UST ratio on Monday was at 64%, the five-year at 70%, the 10-year at 76% and the 30-year at 92%, according to

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider a teachers’ union appeal of the Puerto Rico plan of adjustment, rejecting the petition for certiorari Monday morning. The plan of adjustment, which went into effect in March, freezes future accruals under the teachers’ defined retirement benefit plan held by those in the plan prior to August 2014

PFM this week hired Nathaniel Singer, whose career spans nearly four decades in the municipal derivatives and advisory space, as a senior director and financial advisor. Singer, who started Wednesday, reports to Dan Hartman, chief executive officer of PFM. Singer will collaborate with professionals and practice groups across the firm and focus on all financial

Despite the impact from Hurricane Ian in Florida, the state’s labor force increased by 36,000 in October with Florida’s private sector adding 35,000 of those jobs. This was the 30th straight month that jobs were created in Florida, while private-sector job growth has exceeded the national pace for the past 19 months, the Department of

Evidence shows that the states are collecting and spending more money due to federal action and a tax collection boon, a trend that started two years ago. “Over the past two years total state spending has been heavily impacted by federal COVID-19 aid and rising state tax collections,” said Brian Sigritz, director of State Fiscal

Construction will begin early next year on a public-private partnership to build a $4.2 billion terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport after the team locked in financing and federal environmental approvals this week. “This has been a long and difficult road,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton

Triple Five, owner of the American Dream mall in New Jersey, has struck a deal with a group of creditors led by JP Morgan that grants the developer a four-year extension on overdue construction debt. The agreement has the potential to ease pressure on $1.1 billion of tax-exempt bond debt taken on separately to finance

Municipals were steady to firmer in spots Friday ahead of a holiday-shortened week and a light new-issue calendar. U.S. Treasuries closed out weaker and equities ended the week with small gains. Triple-A yields were little changed to bumped by up to four basis points, depending on the curve, while U.S. Treasuries saw yields rise by

A $3.4 billion bond issue to securitize costs incurred by Texas natural gas providers during 2021’s Winter Storm Uri appears to be on track for pricing at the end of this month. Members of the state’s Bond Review Board, who have until the end of Friday to call for a full review of the transaction,