Bonds

Spreads on Build America Bonds have widened “significantly” in the last few months amid a wave of refinancings despite a debate over the legal ability of issuers to call the debt, according to municipal bond strategists. So far this year, the BABs index option-adjust spread has cheapened 10bps compared to the ICE Broad Taxable Municipal

Bond insurance continued its upward trajectory in the first quarter of 2024, leading the two top municipal bond insurers to expand. Municipal bond insurance grew 24.4% in the first quarter of the 2024 year-over-year. The top two municipal bond insurers wrapped $7.132 billion in the first quarter of 2024, up from the $5.735 billion of

The City of Richmond, Virginia is changing course on a nearly $280 million bond issuance that will build a new minor league baseball stadium anchoring a $2.4 billion mixed-use project on 67-acres just northwest of downtown Richmond.  Last week the Diamond District project, which includes retail, housing, and office space took a public financing turn when the

Geopolitical turmoil roiled markets Friday, sending investors on a flight-to-safety trade into U.S. Treasuries while equities sold off after news reports that Israel was bracing for an attack by Iran on government targets and that China was providing Russia with drone and missile components.  Municipal bonds followed USTs as yields fell in both asset classes

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s upcoming meeting of its board of directors April 17-18 will focus discussion on its many rule proposals underway. The board will review the public comments they received as part of the request for information on small firms, which saw 22 different firms and groups submit responses. They will also discuss

Municipals were mixed Thursday in secondary trading as focus shifted to California’s nearly $1.5 billion of tax-exempt and taxable general obligation bond deals in the competitive market while U.S. Treasuries were weaker out long after Wednesday’s short-end selloff and equities were in the black at the close. Triple-A yield curves saw a mix of bumps

Municipals were weaker, but outperformed a large U.S. Treasury selloff that hit the short end the hardest and pushed the 10-year well over 4.5% after a hot inflation report showed Fed rate cuts would be pushed further out. Equities sold off as well. “The news is sparking an equity market selloff while sending bond yields

S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday upgraded its long-term rating on Detroit’s unlimited-tax general obligation debt to investment grade, raising it to BBB from BB-plus. The outlook is stable. The rating agency said the change reflected a stronger financial position and its “increased confidence in the city’s ability to sustain balance within the construct of its

Florida’s Brightline passenger train, long a prominent name in the high-yield municipal market, is gearing up for its investment grade market debut with a $2 billion deal that marks a first step toward an overhaul of its debt load. Another $1 billion of subordinate high-yield bonds that will be a mix of taxable and tax-exempt

Munis were a touch firmer in spots Tuesday as the primary market ramped up and investors awaited Wednesday’s inflation report to give further guidance on Fed rate cuts. U.S. Treasuries were firmer and equities were mixed at the close. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 65%, the three-year at 64%, the five-year at 61%,

Voters in the Milwaukee Public Schools District passed a referendum Tuesday that would raise property taxes to fund $252 million of additional spending. The referendum passed by a narrow margin, with 51% in favor and 49% opposed. At least 21 of the roughly 90 school referendums that were up for a vote in Wisconsin on

Municipals were steady to slightly weaker in spots Monday ahead of a rebound in issuance that tops $8.5 billion. U.S. Treasuries were weaker and equities were up. Triple-A yield curves saw yields rise up to three basis points, depending on the scale, further softening ahead of a growing new-issue slate and the last week before

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. Career moves are heating up as we move through 2024, many linked to Citi’s exit from the municipal bond market in December 2023, and UBS’s exit from the negotiated underwriting business in October. Many firms are now quickly scooping up former Citi

In a ceremony watched by thousands of issuers, the White House Thursday unveiled an overhaul of how it sends billions of federal funds to cities, states and nonprofits in an effort to cut red tape, expand the pool of grant recipients and simplify reporting and compliance. “The changes being finalized and announced today are historic

The Department of Transportation and Baltimore County have reached an agreement to divert a previously awarded DOT grant to help nearby ports accommodate more cargo following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. That comes along with the announcement Thursday that DOT’s Federal Transit Administration will allocate $20.5 billion to state and local government

Miami-Dade County, Florida, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has dropped plans for a proposed a $2.5 billion municipal bond referendum in November that would have funded infrastructure projects. Instead, the mayor said Thursday she will work to propose an even larger bonding plan that will include money for transit projects. Proceeds from the “305 Future Ready”

Following another better-than-expected jobs report, U.S. Treasuries sold off and were volatile throughout the session leading municipals to see a weaker, but more muted tone than their taxable counterparts. Equities rallied. The March employment report sent “the bond market in panic mode over Fed cuts being delayed,” according to Bryce Doty, senior portfolio manager/vice president at

California lawmakers fine-tuned their March budget proposal, cutting spending by $17.3 billion ahead of formal discussions to get a head start on difficult decisions amid a record deficit. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas announced they reached an agreement Thursday, providing specifics about how they plan to

Municipals were little changed Thursday as the primary market saw several large deals price to good demand as investors see current muni yields more enticing after the rise in triple-A curves Tuesday and Wednesday. U.S. Treasuries were slightly firmer and equities were down near the close. There has been some trepidation from buyers over the

Fitch Ratings’ new U.S. local government rating criteria is expected to lead to changes to about 550 ratings in the next six months. Fitch adopted the new criteria — which will affect cities, counties, school districts, and special districts — after working on the revision since the fall. The criteria will also be used to