Bonds

Illinois spread penalties narrowed this month to levels in line with its ratings for the first time in years as the state reaps the benefits of swelling tax revenues, federal cash and a market looking for scarce yield. The state’s 10-year spread currently stands at 63 basis points higher than Refinitiv Municipal Market Data’s AAA
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A new opinion issued by the Justice Department says Puerto Rico’s admission as a state could legally include a transition period to temporarily continue the special bankruptcy provisions under PROMESA. That’s good news for the ongoing restructuring of the territory’s debt because it provides an assurance that statehood would not necessarily involve an abrupt dissolution
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Inflation risks may warrant the Federal Reserve beginning raising interest rates next year, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said, backing an even-earlier liftoff than penciled in by many of his colleagues. “I put us starting in late 2022,” Bullard said Friday during a TV interview on CNBC, referring to interest-rate projections published Wednesday by
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Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi signed a bill Wednesday rejecting any pension cuts and undoing pension reforms enacted in 2017, despite these cuts and adjustments being part of the proposed plan of adjustment and approved fiscal plan. “The public pensioners dedicated years of their lives to the service of our people and were the engine
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Municipal bonds rallied Wednesday as triple-A benchmark yields fell as much as five basis points out long but bumps were seen across the curve, moving levels on high-grades below 1% on bonds maturing inside 14 years, while another round of billion-plus inflows were reported. The Investment Company Institute reported $1.089 billion of inflows into municipal
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The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved 38-26 a $547 billion surface transportation bill early Thursday with the support of only two Republicans. The five-year Highway Trust Fund reauthorization still requires action by the House Ways and Means Committee to approve revenue measures for financing the bill. Ways and Means also has jurisdiction over tax
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The pandemic has highlighted the importance of basic functional infrastructure, budget management and affordable housing to the vitality of cities. That’s the takeaway from the 2021 State of the Cities report released Thursday by the National League of Cities. Nearly 600 cities, towns and villages were surveyed along with 57 mayoral speeches that provided additional
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Subway safety in New York took on a new meaning when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority acknowledged a cyber intrusion, which set off loud alarm bells about the rising threat of system hacks. The MTA is one of the largest municipal issuers and reports linked China’s government to the episode. Despite MTA officials’ assurances of quick
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The California state treasurer wants Congress to triple the federal cap on tax-exempt private activity bonds that are used for high-speed rail projects and other surface transportation to $45 billion. California Treasurer Fiona Ma emphasized in a letter Monday to key House and Senate Democrats and Republicans the importance of including private investment in the
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