Chip Barnett is a journalist with almost 50 years of professional experience. He started his career at the Gannett Newspapers in Westchester County, N.Y., working his way up from back-shop compositor to Senior News Editor. Barnett later worked for Thomson Reuters in Manhattan, covering state and local government finance as a Reporter and later Executive Editor for TM3.com and as Editor in Charge of Municipal Finance for Reuters News. Later, he was the Editor of Municipal Finance Today at SourceMedia. Barnett has also worked for DebtWire/Municipals and has written about commercial real estate in South Florida and the Midwest for both The Real Deal and Globe Street. Barnett is currently a Reporter at The Bond Buyer.
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The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, fell three basis points to 4.34% in the week ended Oct. 22 from 4.37% in the prior week.
October 22 -
Municipal bonds were unchanged at mid-session as a $370 million bond deal for Duke University priced while the New Jersey Turnpike Authority was selling $750 million of municipal bonds in the primary.
October 22 -
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority was on tap to sell $750 million of municipal bonds in the primary on Thursday, one of the last big deals coming to market this week.
October 22 -
Prices of top-shelf municipal bonds closed stronger on Wednesday, traders said, as the New York City Transitional Finance Authority got a warm reception for its big negotiated deal and two smaller competitive sales.
October 21 -
The relationship between local government and its workforce is an important indicator of the strength of a municipalities credit, Fitch Ratings said in a report released on Wednesday.
October 21 -
Prices of top-shelf municipal bonds were stronger at mid-session, traders said, as the New York City Transitional Finance Authority hit the market with a big negotiated deal and two competitive sales.
October 21 -
Municipal bond traders are set for the institutional pricing of the New York City Transitional Finance Authority deal along with two competitive sales from the authority.
October 21 -
Prices of top-quality municipal bonds finished weaker on Tuesday, traders said, as some large new deals hit the market from California and Ohio.
October 20 -
Prices of top-quality municipal bonds weakened at mid-session, traders said, as some large new deals hit the market from California and Ohio.
October 20 -
The municipal bond market was awaiting some large new deals to hit the market on Tuesday, led by issuers in New York and California.
October 20 -
Municipal bond funds reported inflows for the second week in a row, according to Lipper data released on Thursday. Weekly reporting funds experienced $520.807 million of inflows in the week ended Oct. 14, after inflows of $714.012 million in the previous week, Lipper said.
October 15 -
Even as funding ratios for U.S. state pensions stabilize, state and local government workers are retiring at a higher rate than new employees are being hired and this is putting additional pressure on their pension systems, Fitch Ratings said in a report released on Thursday.
October 15 -
Richard Raphael, Managing Director and head of U.S. Public Finance at Fitch Ratings, will retire from the firm Oct. 30 after almost 27 years. Jessalynn Moro has been named to succeed him. Laura Porter takes over from Moro as head of the local government team and will also remain head of the state ratings group.
October 13 -
Interactive Data announced on Tuesday the launch of its Liquidity Indicators Service for municipal and corporate bonds. The service will let subscribers access a series of security- and portfolio-level Liquidity Indicators, which are aimed at helping companies manage liquidity risk in any type of economic cycle, the company said.
September 29 -
Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were stronger at mid-session, traders said, with yields on some maturities weakening by as much as three basis points. In the primary, traders saw some new deals from issuers in California and Washington state hit the screens.
September 29 -
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel brought the case for a budget proposal that hikes property taxes to fund police and firefighter pensions before the municipal bond market on Monday. Speaking in Manhattan to the Municipal Forum of New York, Emanuel said that the only alternative to his budget is to make massive cuts in the citys workforce and services.
September 28 -
Prices of top-quality municipal bonds finished stronger on Monday, according to traders, with yields on some maturities weakening by as much as three basis points. Traders were eyeing the week's hefty new supply, which began coming to market on Monday.
September 28 -
Prices of top-quality municipal bonds were stronger at late morning dealings, according to traders with yields on some maturities weakening by as much as two basis points. Traders were eyeing the weeks hefty new supply, which began coming to market on Monday.
September 28 -
Municipal bond funds reported inflows for the first time in four weeks, according to Lipper data released on Thursday. Weekly reporting funds experienced $231.252 million of inflows in the week ended Sept. 23, after outflows of $411.069 million in the previous week, Lipper reported.
September 24 -
Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were stronger at mid-session, according to traders, with yields on some maturities weakening by as much as four basis points.
September 24
