Ratings

Ratings for Kansas have not changed since it was downgraded three times during the prior decade due to structural budget problems in the wake of tax cuts.

Friday's action brings the state's outlook to positive with all four major credit rating agencies.

Moody's affirmed its Baa3 rating and concluded a two-month-old review of the troubled city, which is under state fiscal oversight.

Improved commitments to pension funding, coupled with other changes to the two states' retirement systems, have yielded bond rating upgrades for both.

The healthcare chain won breathing room as its letter of credit provider waived a rating covenant and removed an event of default provision for junk downgrades.

"The labor noise is probably a little louder and is probably going to be with us for longer than we expected in late 2021 and is probably going to result in lower margins for a bit of time," S&P's Suzie Desai said.

Fitch raised Wayne County's rating to A from BBB-plus, putting its fiscal distress further in the rearview mirror following a round of upgrades this year.

The upgrade "reflects material strengthening of the state's financial resilience and budget management, particularly over the past two biennia," the rating agency said.

The decision follows months of turmoil that left the city without an approved budget well into the new fiscal year, said Moody's analyst Douglas Goldmacher.

Moody's dropped the city's rating a notch to A3 and kept a negative outlook on the credit. Persistent structural deficits and pension liabilities were factors.

COVID-19 worsened the fiscal picture for the senior care, insurance, and hospital operator, but it faced rating pressure before the pandemic.

S&P Global Ratings, who revised the state's GO bond outlook from negative to stable last week.

Moody's Investors Service rewarded the ongoing fiscal turnaround of Detroit's home county with a two-notch upgrade.

The Minnesota Airports Commission is also in the bond market with a $386 million deal this week, followed by Chicago's $1.77 billion transaction next week.

The rating agency highlighted the state government's recent payments to its underfunded state pension system.

Hazelwood's mayor posted a letter on the city website warning of potential bankruptcy if the city can't renegotiate its deal with a fire protection district.

S&P revised the state's outlook to positive in September, which gives it a one-in-three chance of a ratings boost over the two-year outlook period.

Fitch and S&P moved the district's outlook to stable as its balance sheet weathered the COVID-19 storm and pension overhaul legislation removes the threat of looming insolvency.

A rating upgrade by Moody's Investors Service means Minnesota has triple-A ratings from three major rating agencies.

Cleveland drew a Moody's upgrade as it was prepping an annual GO sale.