California

Moody's Investors Service had more upgrades than downgrades in the third quarter of 2015, and the upgrades also affected a larger dollar amount of debt than its downgrades.

Standard & Poor's raised its long-term rating to A-plus from A on the Ukiah Redevelopment Agency, Calif.'s series 2011A tax allocation bonds, citing increased assessed value.

Raymond James continues its expansion in California with the recent hiring of veteran education banker Charlie Feinstein in San Francisco.

Fitch Ratings' Amy Laskey disputes the notion that the rating agency's action on San Diego school district bonds was a shift in approach.

Fitch Ratings, reframing its view of the special taxes that support local California GO bonds, assigned its AAA rating to a school district based solely on the special tax without regard to the district's budget and operations.

The relatively opaque private placement market, which has been very strong in California, may be slowing down and shifting from a bank-dominated market to a more diverse range of purchasers.

A state audit of Beaumont, Calif. found that the Southern California city failed to properly track spending of $626 million in bonds.

Fitch ratings affirmed LA/Ontario International Airport, Calif.’s A-minus rating, but also maintained a negative outlook.

Standard & Poor's assigned an A-plus long-term rating to San Francisco State Building Authority's lease revenue refunding bonds and Oakland State Building Authority's lease revenue refunding bonds.

Los Angeles International Airport received rating affirmations ahead of plans to price $302 million in general airport revenue bonds.

Investment banking firm Rice Financial Products Co. has hired seven people to bolster its sales and trading operations and expand its footprint in California, Illinois, Texas and New York.

California’s Richmond Community Foundation will pursue a new social impact bond vehicle with a $3 million revenue bond private placement it hopes to close next month with the local Mechanics Bank.

The deteriorating financial position of a school district in Santa Clarita, Calif. was cited in one-notch issuer and certificate of participation downgrades from Moody’s Investors Service.

Standard & Poor's revised the outlook on Los Angeles’s debt to stable from positive citing uncertainty from two lawsuits challenging the city's power revenue fund transfers.

Rating agencies are continuing to treat municipal issuers unfairly even though federal law required that practice to stop, former California Treasurer Bill Lockyer said.

Conventional wisdom that municipalities that file for bankruptcy “will never borrow in this town again” has not been found to be true, said panelists at The Bond Buyer’s California Public Finance Conference.

Improved disclosure and transparency will help California’s leaders make the argument for improved infrastructure, State Treasurer John Chiang said.

The Marin Healthcare District of Marin County, Calif, plans to sell $170 million of investment-grade bonds next week to finance earthquake readiness measures and medical improvements at a 63 year-old hospital.

The San Diego City Council approved Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan to streamline the bidding process on infrastructure projects.

California State Public Works Board lease revenue bonds were affirmed ahead of plans to issue $210 million to fund prison construction projects.