Bonds

S&P Global Ratings revised the outlook on Arizona’s AA issuer rating to positive from stable, citing the state’s “robust” economic growth, as well as its financial management. The move points to an expectation of a one-in-three chance of a rating upgrade over the next two years, according to the rating agency.  Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs

Municipals were little changed ahead of a smaller $6.6 billion new-issue calendar. U.S. Treasuries were firmer and equities rallied. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Friday was at 65%, the three-year at 66%, the five-year at 67%, the 10-year at 67% and the 30-year at 83%, according to Refinitiv Municipal Market Data’s 3 p.m. EST read. ICE

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order instructing state agencies to adopt policies to clear homeless camps on state properties and asked local governments to use the “substantial funding” provided by the state to take similar action. The executive order issued Thursday comes a month after the U.S. Supreme Court’s sweeping Grants Pass decision

Karl Knight was appointed chief executive officer of the U.S. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Thursday, effective July 29. The last permanent CEO, Andrew Smith, resigned on June 1 after two and a half years in the position. Since then, Ashley Bryan, who had been the head of electrical operations, has served as interim

Private equity giant KKR is buying Philadelphia-based broker-dealer Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. Janney, which dates to 1832, operates as a full-service wealth management, investment banking, and asset management firm. KKR announced Tuesday that it will acquire the firm from The Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, its owner since 1982. After the deal closes, Janney, which

The Chicago Public Schools board of education unanimously approved the $9.9 billion fiscal 2025 budget Thursday.  The vote came on the heels of a report from the Civic Federation of Chicago, a nonprofit fiscal watchdog, that warned the budget “presents a temporary solution to a long-term structural financial problem.”  The budget represents an increase of

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board has elected Warren “Bo” Daniels, managing director and head of public finance at Loop Capital Markets to serve as chair of the board for FY 2025, with Jennie Bennett, associate vice president for finance at the University of Chicago elected as vice chair.  That came out of the MSRB’s final

Economic development, infrastructure, and housing rank as the primary priorities for mayors and their constituents across the nation, according to the 2024 National League of Cities State of the Cities Report. This year’s report reveals how municipalities are faring in the post-COVID-19 environment, and how mayors are addressing their constituents’ concerns in the nation’s current

The $2 billion people mover, which would link SoFi Stadium with one of Los Angeles’ newer transit lines, appears to be moving ahead despite a couple of broadsides to the project this month. The proposed Inglewood Transit Connector project is a 1.6-mile, fully automated, elevated, fixed-guideway transit system, which would have three transit stations in

Municipals were mixed Thursday, while U.S. Treasuries were firmer five years and out and equities ended mixed after data showed the economy grew at a hotter-than-expected pace in the second quarter. “News that U.S. economic growth accelerated faster than expected in the second quarter has sent market participants on a roller-coaster ride,” said José Torres,

A coalition organized by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has filed three lawsuits to allow the launch of congestion pricing.  Lander and his allies hope the lawsuits will force the defendants — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, state Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — to begin the

Local government investment pools sponsored by states and municipalities currently account for $882 billion in assets and are mostly free from any Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, per a recent report.  “Local government investment pools are like money market funds,” said Marty Margolis, founder of the Public Funds Investment Institute. “They are in many respects,

Controversial new data standards for municipal issuers may advance Tuesday when the Federal Deposit Insurance Agency board is expected to vote on a notice of proposed rulemaking at an open meeting. The FDIC is one of seven federal agencies that, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, will play a role in the complex, joint rulemaking process

A pair of municipal bond veterans have left Preston Hollow Community Capital to launch their own shop that will source high-yield muni deals to alternative asset manager Fundamental Advisors. Charlie Visconsi and Ron Van Den Handel announced the formation of V2 Municipal Capital this week as an independent firm that will partner with New York-based Fundamental.

Bond insurance continued to grow in 2024, with insurance increasingly utilized by issuers and strong demand from retail and institutional investors. Municipal bond insurance grew 24.4% in the first half of the 2024 year-over-year, according to LSEG data. The top two municipal bond insurers wrapped $19.355 billion in 1H 2024, up from $15.561 billion of

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. Competitive underwriting rose in 1H, increasing to $41.467 billion in 1,668 deals from $34.945 billion in 1,569 deals, according to LSEG data. The market share of competitive underwriting also grew to 17.5% from 14.7%. The top 5 competitive underwriters remained in the

An Oklahoma court ruling against a state anti-ESG law could help undermine similar laws in Louisiana, Florida, and elsewhere, attorneys said. Oklahoma County District Court District Judge Sheila Stinson late last week issued a permanent injunction against the enforcement of a 2022 state law that led to investment banks being banned from underwriting municipal bonds

The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved three bond issues totaling more than $3 billion on Wednesday. The commission approved a $1.33 billion to $2 billion bond to be backed by tolls on the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge, a state general obligation bond of up to $1 billion, and gave preliminary approval to a state gas

Municipals were a basis point or two weaker out long Wednesday as U.S. Treasuries were mixed and equities sold off. The muni market is “well positioned” to start the third quarter, said Daniel J. Close, head of municipals at Nuveen. Supply “increased meaningfully” in the second as issuers came to market with long-delayed deals “due

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. Municipal financial advisors saw more business in the first half, accounting for $203.285 billion in 2,999 transactions in 1H 2024. This is up from the $147.929 billion in 2,711 deals in the 1H 2023. Kaufman Hall & Associates, Caine Mitter & Associates,

San Diego voters will be asked in November to approve a one-cent sales tax increase to resolve a structural deficit and pay for a long list of infrastructure and road projects. The City Council voted unanimously on Monday to place the measure, which is expected to raise $400 million annually, on the ballot. A county-wide