Category: Bonds

  • September closes in the black; primary in focus as Q4 begins

    Municipals saw some weakness up front while U.S. Treasuries saw losses across the curve after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled the Fed’s rate-cutting schedule was not yet certain as the U.S. economy remains strong. Equities closed in the black. USTs saw the largest losses on the short-end, with yields rising up to 7 basis…

  • Muni lobbyists hire UChicago to create first-of-its-kind bond data

    Municipal market advocates have tapped the University of Chicago’s Center for Municipal Finance to create first-of-its-kind municipal bond data that advocates hope to use to showcase the usefulness of tax-exempt bonds next year as the market’s cherished tax exemption faces an existential threat. The center will drill down to the congressional district level to examine…

  • Ramirez & Co. adds three new public finance bankers

    Samuel A. Ramirez & Co. has added public finance bankers in three separate offices as it continues to broaden its national reach. Cordelia Mendez joins as a vice president in the New York City office, Ayanna Louis-Charles joins as a senior vice president in south Florida and Courtney Okezie joins as a vice president in…

  • SALT cap repeal would affect state workarounds

    As the election approaches, tax policy issues are moving to the fore including pass-through entity exemptions used to negate the effects of the cap on state and local tax deductions.  “If the SALT cap expires, then you’re going to see some states where they didn’t have this legislation, have to figure out what to do,…

  • Hurricane Helene won’t hammer Florida’s CAT fund

    While Hurricane Helene could have short- and long-term impacts on government finances and the economy, observers say Florida’s hurricane catastrophe fund has sufficient funds to cover damages without requiring immediate replenishment. Meanwhile, for now, BofA still plans to price $233 million of water and wastewater revenue bonds for Tampa on Tuesday and $210 million of…

  • Minneapolis returns to the market with GO deal

    Minneapolis will bring general obligation bonds to market next week in a deal that includes funding to repair damage left by the 2020 riots after a police officer killed George Floyd. The city will sell $123.59 million of tax-exempt Series 2024 general obligation bonds via competitive sale Tuesday. The municipal advisor on the deal is…

  • Strong supply, solid demand, steady triple-A yield curves

    The municipal market muscled through this week by holding yields mostly steady as investors digested a large new-issue slate, heavy on tax-exempt paper, even as U.S. Treasuries were weaker until Friday’s session. Municipal triple-A yield curves closed out the week with few changes, valuations were little changed — though at attractive levels — and the…

  • Veto means no relief for hospitals from California earthquake safety deadline

    California hospitals will get no extra time to retrofit hospitals against earthquakes after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have given them some breathing room. Senate Bill 1432 was approved by lawmakers with unanimous votes in both houses in August. Newsom announced his veto Sept. 12. Under existing regulations, hospitals will be forced…

  • Louisiana commission approves bonds

    The Louisiana Bond Commission approved the sale of $620 million in aviation revenue bonds and $220 million in sales tax bonds and modified conditions for up to $1 billion in gas and fuels tax bonds it previously authorized. The commission consented to the sale of up to $575 million in general airport revenue refunding bonds…

  • Georgia’s economy, tax cuts, and revenues raise modest concerns

    Georgia’s weakening economy and the long-run impact of recent tax cuts are concerns, credit analysts say, albeit ones the state’s triple-A bond ratings may ride out successfully. The state’s unemployment rate has gone up for four consecutive months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The GOP-dominated state government has been cutting the top…

  • Callahan joins UMB Bank’s capital markets division

    Dan Callahan joined UMB Bank’s capital markets division as a senior vice president and public finance banker, the bank announced last week. Based in Austin, Callahan will oversee sales and business development, focusing on “UMB’s continued growth in the Texas municipal market through enhanced offerings in school municipal financing that will deliver sustainable results for…

  • Missouri mall is latest to be redeveloped with municipal bond support

    A Missouri government is the latest to offer government support — funded through municipal bonds —to revive a moribund mall.  But developer River City Centre’s plan for West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau, a city of 40,500 along Interstate 55 about midway between St. Louis and Memphis, breaks with the current trend of converting malls…

  • Bonds a key part of Kansas City redevelopment plan

    Bond-financed redevelopment underpins Kansas City, Missouri’s plan to tackle decades-old blight and environmental issues that go back further in the Historic Northeast neighborhood. Clay County Commissioner Scott Wagner, previously a Kansas City councilman, told The Bond Buyer that “just the sheer magnitude” of this redevelopment project presented a challenge, but it stands a chance of…

  • Deluge of Southwest water-related debt is on tap

    The municipal bond market will be showered this week with nearly $2 billion of triple-A-rated debt from water agencies in Southwest states facing drought and other climate issues. The Texas Water Development Board tops the week’s issuance calendar with $1.6 billion of State Water Implementation Revenue Fund for Texas master trust bonds to finance local…

  • Week kicks off with strong retail demand for new issues

    Municipals were steady to start the week while the focus moved to the hefty primary slate as several deals priced bonds for retail to good demand. U.S. Treasuries were slightly weaker and equities closed the session in the black. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Monday was at 64%, the three-year at 66%, the five-year at 66%,…

  • Erie County makes pitch to Buffalo Bills fans for stadium deal

    The enthusiasm of Buffalo Bills fans is well-known. Erie County wants to see how much that enthusiasm is worth. The county will price $110 million of general obligation bonds for a new Bills stadium this week, with a heavily publicized retail order period. The results will test whether the fans known for pre-game table-smashing contests…

  • 20 largest bond financings of August

    Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. The top five bond financings in the ranking came in at more than $8 billion. The top 20 bond financings have a cumulative amount of more than $20 billion. Total issuance in August hit a record at nearly $50 billion. Scroll through…

  • Muni industry needs to advocate for tax-exemption, NABL panel says

    The death knell isn’t ringing for the tax exemption on municipal bonds, according to a panel at the National Association of Bond Lawyers conference, at least not yet — although the panel suggested the industry remind lawmakers of the role bonds play in their communities. The exemption remains an issue as policymakers will need to…

  • In wake of Fed cut, and despite underperforming taxables, muni momentum is positive

    Despite the pressure on U.S. Treasuries this week following the Federal Reserve’s 50 basis point rate cut, municipals closed out the week on track to post positive returns for the fourth consecutive month, the first time since 2021. Triple-A municipal yield curves were lightly traded and little changed while Treasuries saw small improvements for the…

  • Tampa’s sales and utility tax bonds upgraded two notches by Moody’s

    Tampa, Florida’s sales and utility tax bonds were upgraded to Aa1 from Aa3 by Moody’s Ratings and the outlook is stable. The upgrade affects Series 2016 and 2020 sales tax refunding and improvement bonds and Series 2012A and C utilities tax and Series 2010A & B utility tax revenue bonds. “That’s great news, and it…