Hawaii

Municipal bonds finished out the month on a strong note, with yields dropping by as much as two basis points on Friday.

Hawaii struggles to close shortfall while crafting reopening plan.

Fitch Ratings lowered its outlook on Hawaii's AA-plus rating to negative from stable, following a similar action by Moody's earlier this month.

With coronavirus decimating the state's dominant industry of tourism, Moody's dropped Hawaii's rating outlook to negative.

Tourism represents 17% of Hawaii's economy.

Fitch Ratings raised Hawaii to AA-plus from AA.

Hawaii moves ahead on plans to construct a new college football stadium amid concerns about declining attendance at college games.

Issuers in the nine-state Far West region sold $34.6 billion of municipal bonds in 2019's first six months.

Southwest Airlines' decision to enter the Hawaii market helped spur a positive outlook from Moody's.

Lawmakers are weighing legislation that would authorize $100 million of special purpose revenue bonds to build and operate the plant.

Attention in the municipal bond market turns westward as some of the week's biggest deals will be coming from Hawaii, Washington state and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Buyers will see the biggest issuance week of the year as $7.2 billion of deals will hit the screens.

The Hawaii finance team doesn’t expect the market’s volatility to hamper buyer interest.

Honolulu plans to price $250 million in GOs for the 20-mile-long elevated rail project.

Rating agencies affirmed double-A-plus ratings ahead of the deal.

The extent of the damage from mudslides triggered by Hurricane Lane is yet to be determined, state officials said.

Issuance was down 27% in the region from the first half of 2017, and almost 30% in California, its largest market.

The U.S. Territorial Relief Act of 2018 would give territories the option to terminate their debt obligations while authorizing $7.5 billion in federal funds to compensate mainland creditors who are individual investors, trade unions, pension plans, and open-end mutual funds.

State and local governments were advised Thursday to avoid imposing burdens on out-of-state e-commerce retailers that could spark a new round of litigation as they begin implementing the Supreme Court’s June 21 South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. ruling on sales taxes.

During a webinar Thursday moderated by the National League of Cities, officials pointed out that the South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. sales tax case has been remanded by the U.S. Supreme Court back to the South Dakota Supreme Court.

Congress might provide clarity by preventing states any state from imposing retroactive liability.