Ratings

The twin Transportation Corridor Agencies issuers in Orange County, California, received Fitch Ratings upgrades for fiscal prudence and bond buydowns.

Chicago goes to market next week with $517.95 million of taxable and tax-exempt general obligation bonds following a downward outlook revision from Fitch.

The rating agency cited concerns about limited unrestricted reserves for lowering its rating outlook for more than $1 billion of debt.

Maryland is preparing for upcoming bond sales as the state treasurer responds to a Moody's downgrade by suggesting the state part ways with the rating agency.

Rising debt and interest payment ratios over more than a decade, to levels higher than other nations', prompted the downgrade, Moody's said.

The rating agency expects a decline in U.S. air passenger numbers this year due to a deceleration in U.S. economic growth, it said in a report this week. 

The downgrade pushes $2.2 billion of private activity bonds issued for the passenger train startup though the Florida Development Finance Corp. to junk.

Lawsuits claiming the LADWP failed to keep a reservoir filled or maintain water equipment were cited in KBRA's downgrade of its water system's revenue bonds.

The ratings agency changed its outlook on its BBB-minus rating to negative from stable Wednesday.

KBRA downgraded Los Angeles GO bonds to AA from AA-plus in the city's second downgrade within a week. The city's lease revenue bonds were also cut.

S&P noted volume growth and solid operating margins at the large Florida-based healthcare system.

New Britain is reaping a rating reward from higher revenues and stronger budgetary practices, including full actuarial funding of its pensions.

S&P Global Ratings dropped Los Angeles' ratings and assigned a negative outlook, citing a "weakening financial position and an emerging structural imbalance."

The city of Los Angeles and its Department of Water and Power face Palisades Fire-driven lawsuits from some 776 plaintiffs, according to the offering document.

Moody's Ratings cut the issuer rating for the District of Columbia to Aa1 with a negative outlook, which the city CFO blames on federal workforce reductions and weakness in the commercial real estate market.

KBRA said the negative outlook reflects declining coverage of maximum annual debt service coverage from both a lower tax rate and declining rum sales.

KBRA revised the outlook to negative on the Chicago Transit Authority's AA-minus rated TIFIA bonds, backed with farebox and operations revenue.

A new S&P upgrade and one last year from Moody's burnish the Colorado Statewide Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise ahead of a $212 million revenue bond deal.

The S&P issuer rating upgrade marks the second for Oklahoma since September when Moody's raised its rating a notch to Aa1.

Colleges and universities have already begun hiring freezes and spending cuts, dialing back research and rescinding offers to Ph.D. candidates, the rating agency said.