Bonds

Municipal budgets are showing resilience which could dampen the need for issuing new debt, even as headwinds have grown to include congressional stalemate that has put the possibility of a government shutdown back on the table.   “A federal shutdown has many ripple effects,” said Farhadi Omeyr, program director, Research and Data, National League of Cities.
Municipals were slightly firmer Tuesday as large deals priced in the primary saw yields lowered upon repricing. U.S. Treasuries were firmer out long and equities rallied. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 71%, the three-year was at 72%, the five-year at 72%, the 10-year at 74% and the 30-year at 91%, according to Refinitiv
Recent Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions signal that regulators are widening their net to charge more types of municipal market participants as so-called gatekeepers against misconduct. So said panelists Thursday at the National Association of Bond Lawyer’s annual conference in Chicago. The SEC’s enforcement division and Public Finance Abuse Unit activities are “reaching all
Chattanooga, Tennessee, fetched AAA ratings ahead of its planned general obligation bond sale. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings both affirmed Chattanooga’s AAA issuer rating while assigning the same to an upcoming competitive sale of $40.2 million of general obligation bonds by the city expected on or around Oct. 31. The outlook is stable on
Municipals weakened further Thursday as outflows from muni mutual funds lessened, while short-term U.S. Treasury yields fell after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell suggested central bankers could raise rates again, but not at the upcoming meeting. Equities sold off. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Thursday was at 71%, the three-year was at 71%, the five-year at 70%,
Partners in the development of a pair of nuclear reactors in Georgia have settled a legal dispute that threatened the project’s underlying financing structure. Investor-owned Georgia Power and cooperative Oglethorpe Power, primary partners on the construction of two new nuclear reactors at Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, recently agreed to new terms regarding cost-sharing
Municipals faced more pressure Wednesday and two billion-dollar-plus deals for Connecticut and the New York City Transitional Finance Authority saw yields rise up to 12 to 13 basis points from Tuesday’s retail pricings while the third consecutive week of $2 billion plus outflows were reported. U.S. Treasuries saw more losses and equities sold off. Triple-A
Amid a busy new-issue day, munis could not help but follow a U.S. Treasury selloff that was led by stronger economic data, reaffirming that rates will remain higher for longer. Equities were down late in the session. “The ‘higher for longer’ interest rate narrative continues to have a significant impact on all fixed income markets,”
Wisconsin ended fiscal 2023 on June 30 with record-high balances of $7.07 billion for its budget and $1.8 billion in its rainy day fund, the state announced Monday. General purpose revenue tax collections totaled almost $21 billion, up 2.1% from fiscal 2022, which ended with a nearly $4.3 billion budget balance, according to a 2023
New York state tax collections from mobile sports betting totaled $727.4 million in fiscal 2022-2023, according to a report from the state comptroller’s office. “Gaming has significantly expanded in the state in the last several years,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said Wednesday. “With the ease and 24/7 availability of mobile betting apps, problem gambling and addiction
Cities and states should “keep calm and issue bonds” despite sticker shock from rising interest rates and a volatile municipal bond market. That was the message from panelists speaking Thursday at the Government Finance Officers Association’s annual MiniMuni event, a three-day online event for issuers. The rise in rates “makes our jobs as debt managers