Bonds

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation board shocked the municipal bond market on Tuesday with a proposal that would switch out CUSIP numbers with Financial Instrument Global Identifiers, a marker based on standards developed by Bloomberg.  “It was an opaque process, but we did hear of efforts behind closed doors to expand the scope of FDTA to include

Williams College, the liberal arts school sprawled across 450 acres of the Berkshire highlands in Massachusetts, is out to show municipal bond investors the greater value of some higher education debt. The alma mater of former President James Garfield and current U.S. Rugby Olympian Kristi Kirshe plans to sell $108 million of bonds next week

Following the receipt of $12 billion from the Biden administration in July of this year, the Gateway Development Commission is seeking to execute an additional $3.8 billion Federal State Partnership grant agreement from the Federal Railroad Administration.   The additional funds will provide the GDC with a cushion with which to facilitate advance payments, as well

Municipals extended their rally Friday, underperforming U.S. Treasuries which saw yields plummet up to nearly 30 basis points on the short end after a weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls report. Equities sold off. Muni yields were bumped nine to 14 basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields fell 17 to 29 basis points, pushing two-,

With the launch of several muni exchange-traded funds in recent weeks, there are now just over 100 muni ETFs in the space as firms ramp up their offerings to fill the gap in the marketplace and address the growing demand from clients. “There’s definitely a bit of an arms race out there,” said Brendan McCarthy,

Municipals were firmer Thursday as muni mutual funds saw inflows top $1 billion and issuers were paid $26 billion of principal. U.S. Treasuries rallied and equities sold off. Muni yields were bumped two to eight basis points, depending on the scale, while UST yields fell up to 13 basis points on the short end. The

The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority expects to price $1.33 billion in Baa3-rated toll bonds next week, in a public-private partnership to replace the Calcasieu River Bridge, but with the bonds backed by toll revenues, there remains some concerns about drivers using alternate routes to avoid the charge. JPMorgan and Wells Fargo will manage the deal.

Municipals were steady, underperforming U.S. Treasuries after the Federal Reserve held rates, as expected. Equities ended up. Wednesday was about setting market participants up for a policy change in September, said Jeff MacDonald, executive vice president and head of fixed-income strategies at Fiduciary Trust International. The muni yield curve has “remained stubbornly inverted” throughout most

When the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s disaster declaration request July 23, it upset the four counties Whitmer had sought assistance for: Branch, Cass, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph. “The damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments

Municipals were little changed Tuesday as U.S. Treasuries were firmer and equities were mixed toward the end of the session. Muni yields remain near levels seen at the start of summer last year, said Tom Kozlik, managing director and head of public policy and municipal strategy at HilltopSecurities. Yields may move lower after the Federal

Connecticut sold a routine $214 million general obligation deal last week, with Wells Fargo placing the winning bid. Although the deal was unremarkable, Assistant Treasurer for Debt Management Bettina Bronisz made sure the occasion didn’t go unnoticed.  “She invited all the interns and other members of our executive staff to participate and learn about it

Kim Olsan joined NewSquare Capital last week as a senior fixed-income portfolio manager.  The 30-year industry veteran said she hopes to bring her broker-dealer background and deep knowledge of municipal bonds to the firm.  Olsan said she looks forward to “interacting directly with advisors and investors to grow their municipal footprint and expose them to

Former BlackRock employee Dave Antonelli has joined fixed-income investment management technology provider IMTC’s sales team as a strategic account executive. Antonelli spent more than 20 years at BlackRock as an institutional fixed-income multi-sector portfolio manager and has experience with managing institutional and retail portfolios and taxable retail separately managed account models, according to a press

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,