Bonds

Municipals weakened further Tuesday in secondary trading as a large new-issue slate took focus in the primary market. U.S. Treasury yields fell and equities were in the black. Muni yields were cut up to seven basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields fell two to three basis points, pushing muni to UST ratios

U.S. public-private partnership activity weakened last year but the longer-term trend of a rising number of P3s held strong while the future boasts a healthy project pipeline and infrastructure funds looking to invest. The southeast region remained the frontrunner in the space, with big-ticket projects queued up in Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee. Availability-payment P3s remained

Greensboro, North Carolina, is expected to price $175 million of bonds next week, $25 million of which are taxable bonds, with the proceeds being used to redeem outstanding bond anticipation notes. The North Carolina Local Government Commission approved the Greensboro bonds earlier this month as well as $212 million of bonds from Raleigh, with an

As the muni market relies on technology, there’s a school of thought that new systems and processes are favored over personal relationships, sacrificing personal touch for efficiency and automation. However, some market participants argue the contrary, believing technology only further enhances the interpersonal relationships of this highly relationship-based industry. “The industry is built on relationships,

Virginia Beach tapped the municipal bond market to help fund a surf park development backed by multi-Grammy award winning artist Pharrell Williams.  The Virginia Beach Development Authority priced about $189 million of debt on Thursday with some of the bond proceeds financing the construction of a 3,500-person entertainment venue, parking facilities and land acquisitions, as

Municipals were steady to slightly weaker in spots ahead of a $12 billion-plus calendar, while U.S. Treasury yields rose and equities were mixed near the close There are nearly 30 new-issues over $100 million on tap across the credit spectrum, led by the week’s largest negotiated deal from Harris County, Texas, with $950 million of

A Senate Finance Committee hearing led by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, contemplated ways to smooth funding for rural hospitals as the number in the red has spiked in recent years. Rural hospitals and clinics across the U.S., including in Oregon, have been particularly hard hit by the challenges facing healthcare over the past several years.

States are casting around for solutions to a drop in gas tax revenues which includes hiked registration fees and the expansion of toll roads, which remains politically sensitive.  “Various projections from state DOTs, think tanks, and economists show that gas tax revenue, which is the largest source of revenue for state transportation trust funds, is

The Federal Reserve’s delay of interest-rate cuts in a bid to temper inflation runs the risk of falling behind the curve, according to Mohamed El-Erian. “The Fed pivoted on the basis of data. It was the opposite of the pivot that they did in December — now they have to do a U-turn,” El-Erian, the

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is seeking to halt the trend of property insurers exiting the state, citing losses, by expediting how quickly they can increase rates. Newsom announced plans to draft a trailer bill to speed up work done by the state’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara during Friday’s briefing on May revisions to his proposed

Municipal bonds saw a touch of weakness in spots as the last large issues of the week priced while municipal bond mutual fund flows show retail engaged and high-yield continuing to outperform the broader investment-grade market. U.S. Treasuries faced some pressure on a slew of economic data and Fed speak that gave participants pause on

After nearly a year of negotiations and four short-term extensions, and a week after the Senate passed it, the House Wednesday approved a bipartisan $105 billion Federal Aviation Administration bill, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk two days before the agency’s spending runs out. The 387-26 vote passed a bill that features a solid bump

Fitch Ratings last week upgraded Milwaukee’s issuer default rating and general obligation rating to A-plus from BBB-plus. The outlook is stable.  Milwaukee benefited from Fitch’s new rating criteria, rolled out last month, which incorporate most of the credit factors that Fitch has considered historically but include additional analytical factors and now assign specific weightings to

The National Football League’s Cleveland Browns recently met with state legislators in Ohio to discuss plans including a new $2.4 billion domed stadium in Brook Park — about 14 miles southwest of Cleveland — for which the team wants public funding. “We know that there are two proposals being floated, but they certainly have not

Municipals were little changed in secondary trading Tuesday as a large new-issue calendar took focus in the primary, led by a $1.5 billion retail order from the New York City Transitional Finance Authority. U.S. Treasuries were firmer across the curve and equities were up near the close. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 64%,

Despite recent spread-widening and underperformance by the tobacco bond sector due to falling cigarette sales and tobacco usage, it has been supported by solid demand for high-yield paper and strong technicals behind it. Good demand for tobacco bonds accounts for the small spread widening and underperformance, said John Miller, head and chief investment officer of

Municipals were little changed Monday as the market awaits another heavy new-issue calendar and an upcoming inflation report. U.S. Treasuries were slightly firmer and equities were mixed near the close. While muni yields were steady Monday, yields fell last week, with 10-year notes falling seven basis points to end the week at 2.65%, said Jason

Amid a major federal government push to get rid of lead in water service lines, many municipalities are struggling to keep up.  One city has been ahead of the curve: Pittsburgh, which recently celebrated removing 11,000 lead pipes. The Pennsylvania city has around 6,000 pipes to go, and estimates that it will finish around 2026. 

Municipals were a touch weaker in spots ahead of another robust new-issue calendar. U.S. Treasury yields rose and equities were up. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Friday was at 63%, the three-year at 62%, the five-year at 60%, the 10-year at 60% and the 30-year at 81%, according to Refinitiv Municipal Market Data’s 3 p.m. EST

The Senate Thursday overwhelmingly passed a five-year Federal Aviation Administration authorization that features a 20% boost for major airport capital improvement projects. The bipartisan measure, which had been stalled by negotiations over an ultimately successful move to add additional flights to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, heads now to the House, which is expected to