Andrew Ackerman

WASHINGTON — Initial jobless claims dropped by 3,000 to 420,000 for the week ending Dec. 18, matching economists’ expectations, the Labor Department reported Thursday

WASHINGTON - Initial jobless claims dropped by 3,000 to 420,000 for the week ending Dec. 18, matching economists' expectations.

WASHINGTON — Next year could bring some of the most significant changes in the municipal securities market in 35 years as regulators try to fulfill a vast array of mandates under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and Congress weighs potentially expanded federal oversight of the market.

The National Federation of Municipal Analysts is urging market participants to take a critical look at the feasibility studies or appraisals that issuers use and cite in bond documents to support the viability of bond-financed projects.

The Securities and Exchange Commission Monday proposed a lengthy new rule to establish a permanent registration system for municipal advisory firms as well as individual advisers that would replace a temporary system for firms the SEC put in place in September.

WASHINGTON — The Securities and Exchange Commission Monday proposed a lengthy new rule to establish a permanent registration system for municipal advisory firms as well as individual advisers that would replace a temporary system for firms the SEC put in place in September.

WASHINGTON — Initial jobless claims dropped 3,000 to 420,000 for the week ending Dec. 11, matching economist expectations for new filings for unemployment benefits, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON — The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is giving the market advance notice that, as of Feb. 14, it will begin requiring dealers acting as underwriters, placement agents, or remarketing agents to provide its EMMA website with certain information about the continuing disclosure agreements for new bond issues.

WASHINGTON - Initial jobless claims dropped 3,000 to 420,000 for the week ending Dec. 11, matching economists' expectations as the four-week moving average for initial claims dropped to its lowest level in more than two years, the Labor Department reported Thursday morning.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has censured and fined New York-based Citigroup Global Markets Inc. $400,000 for violations of securities rules involving municipal and corporate bonds.

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board's proposed changes in public pension accounting and reporting standards, if adopted, will not have immediate credit implications, but probably would make the reporting of year-to-year unfunded pension liabilities more volatile, Standard & Poor's will say in a report Wednesday.

Producer prices jumped more than economists expected in November, rising 0.8% due partly to higher energy prices, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - Producer prices jumped 0.8% in November, led by a 2.1% increase in energy goods prices, while core prices, which exclude food and energy, increased 0.3% on rising prices for new autos, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — Since the Securities and Exchange ­Commission and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board rolled out separate registration systems for municipal advisers this fall, there has been ­widespread confusion over the requirement that advisers register with both regulators.

WASHINGTON — Import prices jumped more than economists expected in November, rising 1.3% as export prices surged by 1.5%, the Labor Department reported Friday morning.

WASHINGTON - Import prices jumped 1.3% in November, as both fuel and non-fuel imports rose, while export prices surged 1.5%, the Labor Department reported Friday morning.

WASHINGTON — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Thursday unanimously agreed to propose pay-to-play restrictions and other business-conduct standards for swap dealers and major swap participants working with “special entities” such as states and localities. The pay-to-play restrictions mirror new Securities and Exchange Commission rules for investment advisers.

The Justice Department has filed a new indictment against CDR Financial Products and three current and former officials that expands on some of the original October 2009 charges against them to include so-called honest services fraud — a criminal statute that survived a Supreme Court challenge earlier this year and is often used to prosecute wrongdoing by public officials.

The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is initiating a study of the municipal market with an emphasis on pre-transaction pricing efficiency and liquidity, Securities and Exchange Commission member Elisse Walter announced Tuesday.

WASHINGTON - The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is initiating a study of the structure of the municipal market with an emphasis on pre-transaction price discovery, Securities and Exchange Commission member Elisse Walter announced Tuesday.