Yvette Shields

Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Polk County, Minn.'s rating to Aa2 from Aa3 thanks to its healthy reserves and growing tax base.

Acrimony between Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly’s Democratic majority over a fiscal 2016 budget is building as both sides posture ahead of the May 31 adjournment date

Chicago’s revamp of its $800 million floating-rate debt restructuring helps its position as it heads into the market with a battered credit, say several buyside participants.

With Illinois lawmakers mired in a budget stalemate as they head into the homestretch of their spring session, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner is warning of a lengthy special session.

Chicago is trying to strike an agreement with its police and fire unions on changes to their pension funding formulas, the city reported in newly published bond offering statements.

Chicago will fold its conversion to fixed-rate of $800 million in floating-rate general obligation paper into one transaction pricing Wednesday with Bank of America Merrill Lynch running the books.

Moody's Investors Service's defense of its Chicago downgrade to junk took center stage at a long-planned discussion of city finances hosted by the City Club of Chicago.

Chicago's decision to delay and rejigger $800 million of borrowing stems from the city's desire for more control over pricing scales following the city's downgrade to junk, sources said.

Nearly two weeks after the Illinois Supreme Court struck down the state’s 2013 pension overhaul, state lawmakers, local government leaders, and legal experts struggle for an alternative the court would accept.

All three rating agencies affirmed Milwaukee ahead of its sale of last week of $187 million of general obligation bonds and notes and $125 million of revenue anticipation notes.

Springfield, Mo. City Utilities will take competitive bids on $515 million of revenue bonds that will refund bonds from a 2006 issue that funded a coal plant.

Chicago will delay a $380 million market appearance for at least a week, and may tinker with the deals’ size and composition.

Standard & Poor's hit Chicago’s water and sewer revenue bonds with a three-notch downgrade Monday due to concerns over the liquidity pressures posed Moody’s Investors Service’s downgrade.

With its battered credit threatened by more downgrades, Chicago heads into the bond market with a new sense of urgency to convert its floating-rate general obligation debt to fixed.

Veteran Chicago-based public finance banker Carole Brown is headed to City Hall to take charge of the city’s battered finances as chief financial officer.

Fitch Ratings dropped Chicago's general obligation and sales tax ratings to BBB-plus from A-minus and placed them on Negative Watch over the liquidity risks posed by the city’s drop to junk by Moody’s Investors Service and its lowering of water and sewer bonds.

Standard & Poor's hit Chicago with a two-notch downgrade and warned of the possibility for a further drop by placing its ratings on CreditWatch with negative implications due to the liquidity pressures posed by its downgrade to junk by Moody's Investors Services.

Expect more downgrades for Chicago after Moody’s Investors Service dropped the city to junk, creating new liquidity concerns, warns Nuveen Asset Management LLC.

Moody’s Investors Service labeled the Illinois Supreme Court’s voiding of the state’s 2013 pension system overhaul a “credit negative” for the state’s A3 bond rating.

Moody's Investors Service stripped the Chicago Board of Education and the Chicago Park District of their investment grade ratings, lowering both by three levels after sinking Chicago’s city government to junk a day earlier.