Bonds

Oklahoma’s list of investment banks determined to be “boycotting” the fossil fuel industry expanded with the addition of Barclays, making it ineligible for state and local government contracts, State Treasurer Todd Russ announced Friday.  Barclays joins Bank of America, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo, which were placed on the list last year under the state’s

All markets rallied on the weaker jobs data, leading municipals to see yields fall up to eight basis points on what typically is a quiet Friday session, following a better-performing U.S. Treasury market. Equities closed in the black. The softer-than-expected April employment report led to some analysts believing this could put rate cuts back on

When Oregon voters consider $1.23 billion in bond measures on the May 21 ballot, issuers will be hoping for a more favorable outcome than local issuers received in November. Only two bond measures totaling $19 million were approved in November out of the $474.95 million requested during the special election. “Historically, the November election has

Municipals were slightly firmer Thursday as U.S. Treasury yields fell and equities were better to close the session. Municipal bond mutual funds saw another week of inflows as investors added $515.5 million for the week ending Wednesday after $200.3 million of inflows the week prior, according to LSEG Lipper. High-yield funds also saw inflows to

Strong sales tax performance means the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority retains its triple-A ratings ahead of a green bond sale next week despite long-term problems with ridership. Ridership is down about 50% from late 2019 pre-COVID figures and 60% from its peak in 2008. Yet the bonds are backed by local sales taxes with

The first piece of a general obligation bond authorization for a new Des Moines, Iowa, airport terminal is coming to market. The county is issuing $113 million of general obligation capital loan notes, Series 2024A, on behalf of the Des Moines Airport Authority. The debt will finance the design, construction and equipment of a new

The National Football League’s Chicago Bears last week unveiled sweeping plans for a new domed lakefront stadium in the city that they say would cost about $4.7 billion total and involve $900 million in new bond financing through the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.  The plan has vocal backing from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, but got

Bondholders opposed to the proposed Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority plan of adjustment asked the bankruptcy judge to hear new evidence the authority will have a greater than anticipated ability to pay off its debt. The bondholders submitted their “urgent motion” to U.S. District Court Judge Laura Taylor Swain Monday evening. They are calling for

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. Bond counsel in the first quarter of 2024 handled a combined $98.894 billion across 1,580 bond issues, up from $74.397 billion in 1,387 transactions this time last year.  The top 10 bond counsel saw some shuffling and welcomed two new entrants. The

Shreveport, Louisiana, voters approved $256 million of general obligation bonds Saturday. The voters approved $125 million for a streets and drainage bond, $82 million for a water and sewer bond, and $49 million for a police and fire infrastructure bond. The first two bonds passed with 80% in favor and 20% against. The last passed

Palm Beach County, Florida, has become the world’s largest investor in Israel bonds, with its investments now totaling more than $700 million. In the six months since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, global sales of Israel bonds have surpassed $3 billion. This includes the $1.7 billion that more than 35 U.S. states and municipal

With about 94% of the $55 billion of federal funding from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for the country’s water and wastewater needs yet to be disbursed, issuers may not need much in the way of municipal bonds for water infrastructure, analysts said. Bond issuance for water and sewer purposes declined 6.7% to

Investors should be aware of risks that Build America Bonds pose if called under an extraordinary redemption provision, as many of these could result in losses, especially if the bonds were purchased at a premium,the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board warned Friday. That comes amid expectations that issuers will redeem $20 to $30 billion in BABs

On Thursday the Governmental Accounting Standards Board requested feedback via a survey designed to aid the board’s tinkering with standards and disclosures regarding infrastructure and capital assets.   “We would like feedback from users of governmental financial statements on what information would have a meaningful effect (more than ‘nice to know’) on their analyses for decision making or assessment

The California Treasurer’s office will relaunch its DebtWatch website on May 1, offering a more user-friendly format with vastly more data than the original 2015 version. The website’s software will allow investors, issuers and taxpayers to access all the data the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission gathers on bond issuance to allow them to

Municipals held steady Friday ahead of a sizable $7 billion, new-issue slate with a mix of credits across the spectrum, from healthcare to housing to toll roads and bellwether general obligation issuers. U.S. Treasuries improved across the curve while equities rebounded after another volatile week across markets. “Bond market investors are all wishing that April was behind us as they

Rating agencies had some good news and bad news for San Francisco this week. S&P Global Ratings Monday put a negative outlook on the joint city and county’s underlying AAA general obligation bond rating, which means there is a one-in-three chance the rating could be downgraded over the next two years. But the city also

Municipals saw losses Thursday following U.S. Treasuries to higher yields, while equities sold off after GDP growth slowed in the first quarter. While growth slowed, inflation was hotter, said ING Chief International Economist James Knightley, as the core PCE deflator rose 3.7% on an annualized basis, three-tenths of a point higher than expected. “Unsurprisingly Treasury yields

The recent slew of prepaid energy bond issues in the Southeast continues to revive interest in the sector as demand remains strong for the tax-exempt paper. In a prepaid natural gas deal, public utilities secure a long-term supply of natural gas at a discounted rate. A conduit issuer, typically a special-purpose entity, sells these bonds.

The California Supreme Court has granted review of a case challenging retirement reforms state lawmakers approved 11 years ago, marking a return of pension spiking questions to the high court for the first time since a 2020 ruling on an Alameda County case. The new case — Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association v. Criminal Justice