Moody's Stays Negative on States and Localities in 2012

The outlook for both state and local governments remains negative, Moody's Investors Service said Wednesday.

Fitch Downgraded Six Times More Value Than It Upgraded Last Year

Fitch Ratings downgraded nearly six times more public-finance debt value than it upgraded in 2011.

Fitch: High-Speed Rail Will Keep on Rolling

WASHINGTON — Despite the financial struggles and criticism faced by prominent fast-rail projects in California and Florida, high-speed and regional rail is likely to proceed out of necessity, according to an analysis by Fitch Ratings.

Regulation

MSRB Urges Muni Issuers to Lobby Moody's

Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board officials on Tuesday urged issuers to encourage Moody's Investors Service to post rating information on the MSRB's online Electronic Municipal Market Access system.

Outlook for States Now Stable, Fitch Says

A year ago, Fitch Ratings had a negative outlook on states, but now it has a stable outlook for the coming year.

Market Values Moody's Ratings More than S&P's, Study Says

Bond buyers place more weight on Moody's Investors Service ratings than on Standard & Poor's ratings, according to a recent Loop Capital Markets study.

Rating Agencies

Moody's Highlights Non-Collection of Taxes for E-Commerce

For online vendors, this year's record sales for Cyber Monday may have been like Santa arriving early, but for states and municipalities that collect sales taxes, it was more like getting a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings.