Finance

Several macro trends have converged to drive growth in municipal bond issuance, said participants at The Bond Buyer's California Public Finance conference.

Vales is currently a director for fixed-income focused broker-dealer InspereX and an independent trustee for the Axonic Funds, having previously served as the CEO of electronic trading platform TMC Bonds, which ICE acquired in 2019.

Build America Mutual insured the majority of the maturities in the West Contra Costa Unified School District GO deal.

The downgrade affects $2.1 billion in bond debt and extends to its utility debt.

While fundamentals remain strong — with credit upgrades outpacing downgrades by 3.5 times so far in 2024 — technical factors have been "less supportive," Principal Asset Management strategists said in a report.

San Francisco's slow recovery from the pandemic and continued financial pressures drove the downgrade, Moody's analysts said.

More project finance deals are part of FHN Financial's plans to grow its municipal finance business.

"The identity of the marginal buyer may be shifting, and with that the market's valuation of structure and liquidity," said Matt Fabian, a partner at Municipal Market Analytics.

As technology options grow, firms are looking for ways to streamline and scale workflows.

Demand for munis remains "insatiable," said Daryl Clements, a municipal portfolio manager at AllianceBernstein.