Bonds

Oregon’s revenues continued to beat expectations, with the state’s economists forecasting lawmakers will have nearly $696 million more to spend than anticipated, and about $3.9 billion going back to taxpayers through the kicker rebate. The state has a trigger mechanism that returns money to taxpayers every two years through a so-called kicker rebate if personal

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

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ sweeping K-12 education plan passed the Senate Thursday as it continued on a fast trajectory through the legislature despite bipartisan calls to slow down the measure, which includes a phased-in, universal school voucher program. The Republican governor’s Arkansas LEARNS plan received its first public airing on Wednesday before the Senate

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

Municipals were weaker in spots in secondary trading Wednesday as $688 million of New York City general obligation bonds priced in the primary, while U.S. Treasuries were firmer and equities ended mixed. The three-year muni-UST ratio was at 62%, the five-year at 62%, the 10-year at 65% and the 30-year at 91%, according to Refinitiv

Munis were weaker to kick off a holiday-shortened week as the front end and belly of the curve continue to feel pressure. Triple-A benchmarks outperformed a U.S. Treasury sell-off, and equities ended down. Markets continue to react to tight labor markets and still-high inflation that will likely lead to Federal Reserve rate hikes continuing into

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,

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

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

New York City is heading to market with the biggest municipal bond deal of the holiday-shortened week, a $677.45 million tax-exempt general obligation bond offering that will refund some outstanding debt.   Lead managers Siebert Williams Shank, BofA Securities and RBC Capital Markets are set to price the fiscal 2023 GOs for institutions on Wednesday

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

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

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

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

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

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

Most state officials are upbeat about the economy despite the apparent thinning out of the fat surpluses sitting in general funds and reserves, though the looming debt ceiling and prospect of a U.S. default is casting a pall over some of that optimism. That was a major theme struck by analysts and other stakeholders during

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

Municipal issuers in the Southeast sold $69.5 million of bonds in 2022, a 13.1% year-over-year decline as governments across the region decreased capital spending and braced for a potential recession, according to industry experts. After starting 2022 with volume up 35% year-over-year in the first quarter, third and fourth quarter volume dropped substantially, according to

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