Bonds

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

Two years after the sale of nearly $2.9 billion of ratepayer-backed bonds to cover huge costs Oklahoma utilities incurred during a fierce 2021 winter storm, concerns are still being raised about the debt.  Last week, a battle ensued over audits utility regulator, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC), is obliged to provide under a law passed

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

New York City will offer $1.2 billion of refunding general obligation bonds on Tuesday, marking its first deal of the fiscal year, just weeks after the New York City Transitional Finance Authority sold $2.11 billion. This test of the market’s appetite for Big Apple debt should be aced, one observer said.  “The city is in

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

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

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

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

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

The $2 billion people mover, which would link SoFi Stadium with one of Los Angeles’ newer transit lines, appears to be moving ahead despite a couple of broadsides to the project this month. The proposed Inglewood Transit Connector project is a 1.6-mile, fully automated, elevated, fixed-guideway transit system, which would have three transit stations in

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,

An Oklahoma court ruling against a state anti-ESG law could help undermine similar laws in Louisiana, Florida, and elsewhere, attorneys said. Oklahoma County District Court District Judge Sheila Stinson late last week issued a permanent injunction against the enforcement of a 2022 state law that led to investment banks being banned from underwriting municipal bonds

The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved three bond issues totaling more than $3 billion on Wednesday. The commission approved a $1.33 billion to $2 billion bond to be backed by tolls on the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge, a state general obligation bond of up to $1 billion, and gave preliminary approval to a state gas

Municipals were little changed in secondary trading Tuesday as the busy primary market took focus, led by two billion-dollar-plus deals from the Texas Transportation Commission and South Carolina Public Service Authority. U.S. Treasuries were firmer and equities were up toward the close. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Tuesday was at 63%, the three-year at 65%, the

First Eagle Investments hired Purva Patel as managing director and senior investment specialist on its high-yield municipal credit team. Patel started July 18 and is based in Chicago.  Patel joins First Eagle from Nuveen Investments, where she was senior vice president for over two decades and managing director since 2019.  Patel’s hire boosts First Eagle’s

Costly plans to tackle climate and water supply challenges in the Southwest may be stalling amid concerns over funding.  Austin, Texas, officials tapped the brakes last week on seeking voter approval for general obligation bonds that would help finance a comprehensive climate implementation program, pushing a potential ballot measure for the debt beyond this November’s

On the heels of President Joe Biden’s departure from the presidential race, munis were mixed Monday. U.S. Treasuries gave back some early gains, ending the day slightly weaker, while equities ended up. The two-year muni-to-Treasury ratio Monday was at 63%, the three-year at 65%, the five-year at 66%, the 10-year at 65% and the 30-year

An Oklahoma judge on Friday issued a permanent injunction against the enforcement of a 2022 state law that led to four investment banks being banned from underwriting municipal bonds and the targeting of other financial firms for divestment purposes.  Oklahoma County District Court Judge Sheila Stinson took the action “based upon the act being unconstitutionally

Municipals were little changed Friday ahead of another week of healthy issuance. U.S. Treasuries were weaker and equities ended down. Tax-exempts, aided by rallying USTs, are “enjoying a relatively strong start” to the second half, said Barclays strategists Mikhail Foux and Clare Pickering. Investment-grade and high-yield returns “have been remarkably similar, though — on the

California voters consider environmental policy so important, according to a recent poll, that it could influence who they support for president. Most favor a $10 billion bond measure proposed to pay for flood control and climate resiliency projects, and the majority plan to cast their ballots for President Joe Biden in the deep blue state.