Bonds

It appeared Judge Laura Taylor Swain is leaning toward ordering more mediation in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy case. She directed the mediators on Tuesday to provide a proposal by Monday that offers “additional provisions” to “overcome obstacles.” Swain cancelled a virtual court hearing on PREPA’s bankruptcy, scheduled for Wednesday, vowing to reschedule

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders asked the bankruptcy court Monday to dismiss the proceedings as a step to appointing a receiver for the authority after the Oversight Board abruptly ended mediation Saturday morning. The bondholders may get to choose the receiver for the authority, which could “set affordable and sustainable electricity rates sufficient for

Municipals were weaker on the front end of the curve ahead outperforming larger losses on U.S. Treasuries that saw the two- and three-year yields rise to near 4% and the highest they’ve been since 2007. Triple-A muni yields rose another five basis points on the short end while UST rose up to seven. Two- and

Ohio-based ProMedica Health System lost its final investment grade rating when Moody’s Investors Service cut the credit citing ongoing losses as the system struggles with ongoing COVID-19 related challenges that have hit its senior care business especially hard. Moody’s dropped the rating two notches to Ba2 from Baa3 Monday and warned of further deterioration by

New York City could use municipal bonds as a way to finance better outcomes for migrants coming to New York from Ukraine and the southern border, city Comptroller Brad Lander said. Asylum seekers coming to the Big Apple could benefit from a new economic initiative tied into an inclusive strategy, Lander said during a webinar

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority mediation ended Saturday morning and the Oversight Board is proposing that litigation commence, as the sides were unable to reach an agreement. “[S]harp differences over what a reasonable settlement is” remain, the board said. The sides “also differ on some key legal issues.” The current round of mediation started in

Municipals were weaker on the front end of the curve as selling pressure mounted all week while U.S. Treasuries were mixed and equities ended down again. Investors will be greeted with a lackluster calendar of a mere $1.4 billion total and only two deals over $100 million as issuers hold back with the Federal Open

With their revenues beating expectations through stronger-than-expected tax receipts and federal pandemic aid, many states have used the extra funds to pay down unfunded pension liabilities accrued in some cases over decades, according to a Pew Charitable Trusts report on state pension systems. The combination of increased contributions and surging investment returns “has had a

Puerto Rico’s government is taking steps to restructure Municipal Finance Agency bonds and other government debt. Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, which oversees debt for the administration of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, on Friday told The Bond Buyer it would seek to restructure the MFA bonds and other non-bonded debt.  To pursue a

Municipals were weaker Thursday as mutual fund losses climbed another $1.4 billion, while U.S. Treasuries sold off five years and in and equities ended in the red as ongoing concerns over Fed policy hang over markets. Municipal triple-A yields rose two to three basis points while UST rose up to eight on the short end

Guam’s governor approved a fiscal 2023 general fund net budget 14.4% larger than the current one, as revenues continue to exceed forecasts, offering some financial flexibility. Guam Gov. Lourdes Leon Guerrero signed the legislature-delivered budget earlier this week, but warned lawmakers about planning uses for excess revenues before an audit. In a memo to Legislature

James Diossa, the former mayor of Central Falls, Rhode Island’s smallest city, won the state’s Democratic primary election for treasurer on Tuesday. He bested Stefan Pryor, former Rhode Island commerce secretary with 55% of the vote, according to results from the local election office. The victory advances Diossa towards a Nov. 8 general election showdown

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Chicago-based broker-dealer Loop Capital with providing advice to a municipal entity without registering as a municipal advisor, the first time the Commission has charged a broker-dealer for violating the municipal advisor registration rule. The charges come a day after the SEC charged four underwriters in a first-of its-kind

Municipals saw losses across the yield curve, outperforming a U.S. Treasury selloff on the front end of the curve but facing larger losses out long, while equities tumbled following a hotter-than-expected inflation report. Two- and three-year muni-UST ratios are around 64% to 67%. The five-year was at 69%, the 10-year at 82% and the 30-year

Australian toll road operator Atlas Arteria Group has agreed to spend $2 billion to buy a 67% stake in the long-term lease of the Chicago Skyway. If the transaction closes, it would mark the third time the toll road asset has changed hands since the city of Chicago first sold the 99-year lease in 2005

Fitch Ratings upgraded New Jersey’s issuer default rating to A from A-minus and raised the ratings on the state’s $5.5 billion of general obligation bonds and $484 million of Garden State Preservation Trust revenue bonds that are linked to or capped by the state’s IDR. Fitch also raised the state’s qualified bond program and school

Fiscal 2022 brought robust revenue growth for Texas and other Southwest states, leading to record budget balances and calls for tax cuts. State coffers across the United States benefited as increased prices for goods and services boosted sales tax collections, while rising wages and employment lifted income tax revenue. Preliminary data from 45 states showed

With a round of rating upgrades in hand, Illinois will hold an in-person and remote meeting with investors later this month to promote its fiscal progress ahead of its next bond sale. “The state of Illinois intends to hold an investor meeting on Wednesday, September 21st, in advance of an anticipated $700 million competitive general

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said he favors “another significant” increase in interest rates when the central bank meets later this month, signaling his backing for a 75 basis-point move. “Inflation is far too high, and it is too soon to say whether inflation is moving meaningfully and persistently downward,” Waller said in the text

A federal judge is weighing whether to dismiss the charges against Capital Market Advisors, which was municipal advisor to the City of Rochester, New York and was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading investors and breaching its fiduciary duty in connection with a 2019 bond offering. Lawyers who preferred not to be