Bonds

The Board of Directors of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board will try to iron out some thorny issues when they meet on July 24-25, for their final quarterly gathering this fiscal year. Establishing priorities for the next fiscal year and approving the FY 2025 budget to advance its strategic plan are among the agenda items.

Lack of capacity at state transportation departments share some of the blame for infamously high infrastructure costs in the U.S. compared to other countries. On the other hand, procurement practices that increase competition among contractors help bring down costs, said Will Nober, an economics doctoral student at Columbia University, Zachary Liscow, a professor at Yale

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York sold $1.2 billion of revenue bonds last week to good demand, with spreads coming in tighter compared to a DASNY negotiated deal that priced last year. “Overall the bond sale was a success,” said DASNY spokesperson Jeffrey Gordon. “[Last week’s sale] benefited from a calm market

Short-term munis were slightly firmer Thursday as muni mutual funds saw continued inflows and the primary market slowed. U.S. Treasuries yields rose and equities sold off. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Thursday was at 64%, the three-year at 66%, the five-year at 68%, the 10-year at 67% and the 30-year at 83%, according to Refinitiv Municipal

New climate change rules for Federal Emergency Management Agency flood aid should generally be a credit positive for the Southeast, analysts say. Though FEMA released the finalized rule July 10 with an effective date of Sept. 9, some of the rule changes are already being applied.  The new rule will require FEMA to consider climate

Municipals were little changed Wednesday as the primary market saw another busy day, led by an upsized $2.5 billion from the New York City Transitional Finance Authority and $1.3 billion from the Regents of the University of California. U.S. Treasuries were slightly firmer and equities were mixed toward the close. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Wednesday

U.S. states are expected to cut their budgets, marking a return to more modest levels of spending after years of stimulus-fueled growth and tax cuts.  Total general-fund spending is expected to fall to $1.2 trillion in fiscal 2025, according to an analysis by the The Pew Charitable Trusts. That’s a roughly 6% decline from estimates of

Municipals were firmer in secondary trading Tuesday as the primary market picked up steam, while U.S. Treasury yields fell and equities ended up. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 65%, the three-year at 66%, the five-year at 68%, the 10-year at 67% and the 30-year at 84%, according to Refinitiv Municipal Market Data’s 3

Phoenix returns to the municipal market this week with its first new money general obligation bond issue in 12 years and a plan to be a more frequent borrower using that credit source in the future. Kathleen Gitkin, the city’s chief financial officer, said she has high expectations for the $238.8 million tax-exempt and taxable

Ohio state legislators are considering a bill that would bar the state’s pension systems, state colleges and universities and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation from prioritizing environment, social and governance factors when making investment decisions.  Ohio’s Senate Bill 6 passed the state Senate on May 10 by a vote of 26 to 7, with senators

The North Carolina Local Government Commission failed to approve Cabarrus County’s requests for bonds totaling $228 million Tuesday — although the panel’s staff recommended approval — with some on the board saying the bonds should face a voter referendum before the commission considers them. Some commission members objected to the county’s use of bond anticipation

The looming 2028 Olympics and the specter of crime took center stage at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s state of the agency event this week. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass handed off the gavel and her title as Metro chair to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn during Wednesday’s event held at Union

Municipals were little changed Friday ahead of another large new-issue calendar. U.S. Treasury yields fell further and equities ended higher. A “relatively difficult start to the year” was expected, “as Treasury yields were too low, market participants were too optimistic about the number of rate cuts this year, and muni ratios were near their multi-year

In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent reversal of the so-called Chevron doctrine, House Republican leaders Wednesday launched a review of the Biden administration’s environmental, social and governance agency regulations. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, sent letters this

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s amendments to Rule G-47 on time of trade disclosure, adding three disclosure scenarios, retiring some existing guidance and clarifying some supplemental information. The amendments were filed with the Commission in April and the amendments themselves were discussed and approved at the MSRB’s quarterly

A subsidiary of Spanish highway operator Abertis is considering borrowing $424 million to fund capital projects for four Puerto Rico toll roads.  The Public Finance Authority, a Wisconsin-based conduit issuer, approved the municipal bond sale for Puerto Rico Toll Roads LLC, at a June 26 board meeting. PFA would loan the proceeds it borrows to

Western cities and states have more flexibility to address homelessness following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upends the legal guidelines for how governments in the West respond to homeless people. How they use that flexibility remains to be seen. In a 6-3 opinion led by the conservative majority, the high court on June 28

Officials in East St. Louis, Illinois, have sued the local police and firefighter pension boards and the state comptroller to block the use of a law allowing the comptroller to intercept state funds going to the city and redirect them to pension payments. According to the Belleville News-Democrat, the city is challenging the law’s legitimacy

Miami-Dade County will bring nearly a billion dollars of aviation revenue refunding bonds for Miami International Airport in a deal supported by growing passenger and freight demand. Pricing is preliminarily scheduled for Tuesday on $782.4 million of Series 2024A bonds subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax and $141.4 million of Series 2024B bonds not subject

Municipals were mixed in secondary trading Wednesday as the primary market took focus, led by a $1.2 billion deal in three series from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. U.S. Treasury yields fell slightly and equities ended up. Thursday’s consumer price index report is the “event of the week,” said Cooper Howard,