Bonds

As the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, Florida’s economy is recovering quickly while its job picture has improved, but several threats to its economic health have appeared on the horizon. On Monday, the state Legislature approved a record $112.1 billion budget for fiscal 2022-2023 that includes tax cuts for residents, pay raises for state employees and a

Comments on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s second request for comment on its draft solicitor muni advisor rule highlight concerns over recordkeeping expectations, harmonization with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “Pay-to Play” rule and whether oral or written disclosures are the most effective for municipal advisors. The board received comments from The Securities Industry and

WASHINGTON — Sarah Bloom Raskin, President Biden’s pick for vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserve, has taken herself out of the running for the position. Raskin submitted a letter to the White House on Tuesday saying she would step aside so the politically gridlocked Senate Banking Committee would move forward with the Biden

After the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the first time since 2018 and said it would raise them six more times this year, U.S. Treasury yields continued to rise, while munis were relatively stable and equities rallied to close the session. Municipal to UST ratios showed the five-year at 76%, 90% in 10-years and

The Puerto Rico Oversight Board is working on a Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority restructuring deal that will avoid local government involvement, a board member said. Board Member Justin Peterson said Wednesday the new deal will be created without local government involvement and will not require local legislation. Peterson also told The Bond Buyer the

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Crosby Independent School District in Texas and its former chief financial officer Carla Merka with misleading investors in a $20 million municipal bond sale, in addition to charging district auditor Shelby Lackey with improper professional conduct in the district’s 2017 fiscal year financial statements. Crosby ISD has agreed

Political corruption taints the reputations of Chicago and Illinois and may influence decisions by businesses and voters at the polls, but it’s harder to measure the indirect toll on ratings, borrowing costs, and population trends. While federal authorities in recent decades have nabbed several dozen city and state officials including two past governors, the high

The omicron variant of COVID-19 overshadowed expectations that California lawmakers could spend this budget year focused on how to spend an anticipated $26.6 billion surplus as Gov. Gavin Newsom released his proposed $286.4 billion fiscal 2023 budget. In a Saturday preview ahead of his Monday budget press conference, Newsom asked lawmakers to immediately approve $1.4

Municipal yields rose again Monday by three to six basis points on elevated selling pressure while short U.S. Treasuries saw pressure and equities ended mixed. Municipal to UST ratios rose slightly on the day’s moves. The five-year was at 50%, 67% in 10 and 78% in 30, according to Refinitiv MMD’s 3 p.m. read. ICE

Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin announced plans Thursday to run for state controller entering an increasingly congested race. The termed-out Galperin seeks to replace State Controller Betty Yee, who also terms out this year. He throws his hat into a race that already includes Republican Lanhee Chen, a former George W. Bush White House

Among the U.S. Virgin Islands government’s many problems is an economy that shrunk 24% in real terms from 2009 to 2019. The territory’s economy has continued to struggle in the past two years, with the islands’ employment down 9.5% through from February 2020 to October 2021, according to New York Federal Reserve Bank Early Benchmarked

The United States Department of Justice on Friday told the Puerto Rico bankruptcy judge it would defend the constitutionality of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, the law governing the bankruptcy process that has been challenged by several parties. The move may slow the confirmation process of the Plan of Adjustment. U.S.

The lingering effects of federal aid should help not-for-profit hospital ratings weather the COVID-19 pandemic’s wounds even as labor shortages and other strains persist through 2022, S&P Global Ratings said. “Our view remains stable as the sector continues to weather the pandemic well — albeit with the benefit of significant federal aid,” S&P said in

The Department of the Treasury has issued its final ruling on its State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, leaving the controversial tax cut ban mandate virtually untouched as it hopes to restrict the use of stimulus funds to offset tax cuts. “Congress specified two types of ineligible uses of funds: funds may not be used

Municipals ended the week with another round of cuts to triple-A scales, moving yields higher by another five basis points, playing catch-up to the selloff in U.S. Treasuries. Muni yields rose 13 basis points across the yield curve to end the first week of 2022. The five-year UST rose 15 basis points to a high

Illinois-based NorthShore University HealthSystem and Edward-Elmhurst Health finalized their proposed merger this week, launching the start of 2022 merger and acquisition activity. The deal comes after closing the books on a year that saw a downtick in the number of mergers but an upswing in transaction size measured by revenue. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic’s impact

Municipal triple-A benchmark yields rose as much as eight basis points on the short end on certain scales Thursday as U.S. Treasury yields remained elevated and equities see-sawed as more hawkish Fed speak continued. The Federal Reserve expects Omicron to fizzle in weeks, and while pandemic-related risks remain, the economy is strong and the Fed

While U.S. Treasuries and equities sold off after release of the FOMC minutes, municipals were largely unchanged on Wednesday, pointing again to a lack of primary supply to provide yield guidance as participants sit back and watch what unfolds in broader markets. The Federal Reserve’s tone has turned more hawkish in the latest meetings, “and

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration appears close to naming a Treasury Department veteran and leading voice on fighting climate-related financial risk to the top bank-regulatory job at the Federal Reserve Board. Sarah Bloom Raskin — who was the No. 2 at Treasury and a Fed governor in the Obama administration — has emerged as the

The U.S. Department of Transportation is floating guidance for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding that state transportation advocates warn restricts highway capacity projects and signals a new strings-attached policy for federal programs. The Dec. 16 policy memo from Federal Highway Administration Deputy Administrator Stephanie Pollack to FWHA staff outlines goals and priorities for