Bonds

Lawmakers in South Carolina have passed a fiscal 2024 budget that mirrors closely the plan pitched by Gov. Henry McMaster earlier this year. The fiscal 2024 budget proposal leans on federal funds, better-than-expected tax collections and a drawdown on reserves to bankroll a wide array of capital work and a boost to state employee salaries.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic disclosed having made prohibited personal trades last year.  Bostic said his account managers executed nine sales and 10 purchases on his behalf on May 2, 2022, one day before the Federal Open Market Committee was set to meet. Fed officials are prohibited from engaging in trades for

Wisconsin lawmakers signed off on legislation that raises local government aid and empowers Milwaukee and Milwaukee County to enact a sales tax hike after months of negotiations and dire warnings over the city’s looming insolvency. Lawmakers gave final approval to the legislation late Wednesday and Gov. Tony Evers is expected to sign it. As part

Bond traders are underestimating how much Tuesday’s Consumer Price Index report will show the inflation rate dropped last month, according to Citigroup Inc. strategist Raghav Datla. Datla’s assessment is partly based on comparing traders’ positioning now relative to back in January. Just five months ago, the market was coming off two consecutive lower-than-forecast CPI prints.

Municipals were steady ahead of this week’s consumer price index print and Federal Open Market Committee meeting. U.S. Treasuries were slightly firmer on the front end and equities were up near the close. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio Monday was at 64%, the three-year at 67%, the five-year at 68%, the 10-year at 69% and the

Deploying greater use of bond financing to cure the county’s affordable housing shortage is getting a fresh look in the Senate via the Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act. The bill, which was introduced Tuesday, is cosponsored by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. and Bill Cassidy, R-La. The legislation takes aim at expanding the use of mortgage

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority approved a $2.72 billion fiscal year 2024 budget that features $174 million in new spending amid declining revenues and expectations of a budget shortfall. The MBTA executive board voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the plan and a 7% bump in year-over-year spending amid predictions for a 10% dip in

Municipals were little changed Friday ahead of a smaller new-issue calendar, outperforming a weaker U.S. Treasury market for another session. Equities ended up. Triple-A yields were mostly flat while UST yields rose up to nine basis points on the front end, pushing muni to UST ratios there lower. The two-year muni-Treasury ratio Friday was at

A lawyer for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders argued Thursday that if a receiver had been in place early on in the PREPA bankruptcy process, they would have controlled him or her and therefore raised rates to repay bonds in full. Assured Guaranty Attorney Mark Ellenberg argued that to be the case in

Changes to Illinois state pension benefits that may be needed to comply with federal Social Security rules carry an estimated $5.6 billion tab through 2045, according to an actuarial study published this week. State employees hired after 2010 get lower pension benefits than those hired before. Pension experts have long warned the Tier 2 benefits

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has introduced the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration’s funding over the next five years, expanding the Airport Improvement Program and including a number of improvements aimed at improving workforce and services of the aviation

Preston Hollow Community Capital and Nuveen expect to close next month on a deal giving Nuveen a stake in its smaller rival in the high-yield muni space. The investment featured prominently in a settlement ending PHCC’s four-year-old legal pursuit of Nuveen for using what one judge labeled as “lies” and “threats” to damage its access

Bond lawyer requests for clarifications on Internal Revenue Service rules affecting municipal finance are so far eliciting no answers from the IRS, leading the National Association of Bond Lawyers to send a letter to the agency requesting a response to some issues that date back to 2018.   The letter comes from NABL president Jodie Smith of Maynard Nexsen,

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bondholders say they are owed $8.5 billion and the timeframe of being able to collect on their claim should continue in perpetuity. That was a central point of contention during Tuesday’s PREPA bond claim estimation hearing during which lawyers for the bondholders and the Oversight Board argued about what the

Fitch Ratings upgraded Jacksonville, Florida, utility JEA’s more than $1.2 billion of water and sewer system debt to AA-plus from AA. The elevated rating applies to $1 billion of water and sewer system senior revenue bonds; $185 million of subordinated revenue bonds; and $28 million of district energy bonds. The outlook is stable. The upgrades

House Republicans on Tuesday sharply criticized responses from the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury, taking the agencies to task for rate hikes that they said damaged the municipal and other markets, thwarted transparency, and cracked the banking system.     The comments came during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. The discussions included

Fresh off enacting a tax credit program tied to private school education, Oklahoma will directly fund a religious charter school — a move the state’s attorney general called unconstitutional and potentially costly for the state to defend. In a 3-2 vote Monday, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved an application from the Roman

The New York City Housing Development Corp. is coming to market this month with $891.75 million of bonds to help back construction of much-needed new housing projects in the city. The NYC HDC plans to issue $641.75 million of Series 2023A-1, 2023A-2 and 2022G multi-family housing revenue bonds not subject to the alternative minimum tax

An assisted-living complex for low-income senior residents in southern New Jersey has been struggling to make timely monthly loan payments. New Standard Senior Living said construction delays at its Village Drive campus in Millville has impeded its ability to lease units and choked its cash flow, according to a recent regulatory filing. While such holdups

Less than a month before New York City faces a deadline for a balanced budget agreement, Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council seem as far apart as ever over the need for either increased spending or more cuts. By law, the mayor and council must agree on a balanced budget by July 1. Last