Bonds

As politicians and fund managers spar over how public finance should respond to questions related to environment, social, and governance concerns, muni bond issuers on the front lines are quickly getting up to speed.  “Investors and regulators are looking for ESG disclosures about environmental, social, and governance factors that may affect municipal issuers credit and

Munis continued to see losses following Friday’s selloff as the 30-year triple-A yield topped 4%. U.S. Treasuries ended the session weaker across the curve while equities extended gains. Triple-A yields rose three to seven basis points, depending on the scale, while Treasuries saw larger losses out long. The three-year muni to UST ratio on Monday

With the University of Puerto Rico under increasing financial pressure, the full payment of its roughly $365 million in bonds appears to be under threat. The university has continued to pay debt service on its bonds since the 2016 passage of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act that set up the bankruptcy

Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary Daly said policymakers should start planning for a reduction in the size of interest-rate increases, though it’s not yet time to “step down” from large hikes. “It should at least be something we’re considering at this point, but the data haven’t been cooperating,” Daly said Friday in

In May, Princeton University, a non-profit with access to the tax-exempt debt markets, chose to issue $300 million of taxable debt with a corporate CUSIP side-by-side with a traditional $300 million tax-exempt deal. That’s because the taxable corporate CUSIP bonds allowed it more flexibility with proceeds than tax-exempts do, a university official said. “The university

Florida’s unemployment rate fell to a near record low in September, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Labor Department and the state Department of Economic Opportunity. Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 2.5% from 2.7% in the previous month and is now the second lowest in the state’s history and the lowest since October

Municipals sold off Friday with losses of up to 18 basis points, with the damage felt across the curve, and the 30-year triple-A yield closed just shy of 4%. U.S. Treasuries ended mixed after the 10-year rose to levels not seen since 2007 earlier in the session, and the reversal led to an equity rally

A shift in the municipal bond buyer base away from mutual funds might mean an uptick in borrowing costs for states and local governments and a more credit-focused investment strategy. Massive mutual fund outflows this year of around $100 billion means issuers have “lost their prime funding mechanism,” said Tom Doe, president and managing partner

Municipals were weaker as mutual fund outflows continued, while U.S. Treasuries extended their selloff and equities ended in the red. Triple-A yields rose one to three basis points, with the larger losses out long, while UST yields rose eight to 10 basis points across the curve. Muni-UST ratios fell with the three-year at 65%, the

Three not-for-profit health systems cut the number of ratings they pay for amid a backdrop of strained operating conditions with margins squeezed by sector-wide expense pressures. SSM Health and OSF Healthcare System in the Midwest and Scripps Health in California all confirmed their decision to drop Moody’s Investors Service in emails. SSM and Scripps published

Bondholders and insurers of Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority revenue bonds are defending what they say is their lien on the authority’s revenues. The parties filed a 73-page defense Monday in an adversary complaint in the PREPA bankruptcy on the lien issue. Their defense responds to an Oversight Board complaint submitted Oct. 3 that said

A ransomware attack on CommonSpirit Health may cause operational headaches but it doesn’t pose a near-term threat to the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare system’s A-minus rating, Fitch Ratings said. The cyberattack also didn’t get in the way of the system’s Tuesday pricing of $1.3 billion of new money and refunding paper. The system added disclosure

Municipals were little changed Tuesday amid a multi-billion-dollar large new-issue day with various credit offerings, while U.S. Treasuries improved slightly and equities ended up. Triple-A curves were a touch firmer in spots as secondary trading took a backseat to the larger primary activity with Connecticut general obligation bonds, CommonSpirit healthcare and several competitive issues led

States and localities would be required to implement greenhouse gas emissions performance measures under a proposed federal rule that’s sparked opposition from issuer groups and Republican senators. The proposed rule from the Federal Highway Administration would require state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to establish greenhouse gas emissions targets and develop a method

Munis were slightly better to kick off the week, while U.S. Treasuries were firmer 10 years and in and equities rallied. Municipal triple-A yields fell one to three basis points Monday while UST saw the 10- and 30-year end the session just above 4%. “Municipal bond yields decoupled from the Treasury market last week, ending basically

Top Texas officials are pushing back against a potential crackdown by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on pollution in an oil and natural gas production region that generates revenue for an endowment that supports billions of dollars of debt issued by the state’s biggest public university systems. With the federal agency proposing to designate parts

CommonSpirit Health added disclosure of a ransomware attack to its offering statements this week as the nation’s largest not-for-profit system prepares to enter the market with a $1.5 billion transaction, underscoring the acute threats posed to borrowers across the municipal spectrum. The Chicago-based Catholic system created through the 2019 merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and

Rhode Island plans to price $227 million of general obligation debt Tuesday in a deal that underscores the state’s capital commitment to education. The competitive deal will price in two tranches: a $162.4 million tax-exempt Series A and $60.3 million federally taxable Series B. The bonds carry the AA rating of Fitch Ratings, Aa2 from

Municipals were little changed Friday, largely ignoring a weaker U.S. Treasury market, ahead of a larger new-issue calendar that features several billion-dollar state general obligation deals. U.S. Treasury yields rose, pushing them to multiyear highs. The two-year closed above 4.5% and the 10-year eclipsed 4%. Equities ended down on continued concerns over inflation. Muni-UST ratios

An agreement among the Puerto Rico Oversight Board and the local government in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority bankruptcy leaves the latter with moderate power in the bankruptcy process, observers say. The board, the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, and the PREPA bond trustee U.S. Bank National Association filed the agreement,