North Carolina

Moody's Investors Service downgraded the rating on bonds sold for Wake Forest Baptist, N.C., to A1 from Aa3 on Wednesday citing an unexpected decline in financial performance. The action affects $597.2 million of outstanding bonds.

Standard & Poor's on Monday raised Lenoir County, N.C.'s general obligation rating to AA-minus from A-plus on strong financials.

A bill that would transfer control of Charlotte Douglas International Airport to an independent authority is getting swift attention from the General Assembly, and North Carolina's new governor.

Historically low interest rates last year helped boost bond sales across the Southeast to $63 billion, an increase of 33% over 2011. The surge in debt was propelled by refundings.

Triple-A rated North Carolina saved $45.3 million in debt service costs on its $319.26 million general obligation refunding last week.

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory became North Carolina's 74th governor on Saturday. He is the state's first Republican governor since 1988.

Aviation in North Carolina contributes about $26 billion to the state's economy, or 6% of the state's gross domestic product, according to a study.

North Carolina Treasurer Janet Cowell hired Kevin SigRist as the new chief investment officer for the $77 billion North Carolina Retirement Systems.

Standard & Poor's bumped Orange County, N.C.'s general obligation rating up a notch to gilt-edge AAA.

George K. Baum & Co. hired David Adams as a senior vice president to open the firm's Southeast public finance office in Charlotte, N.C.

North Carolina Gov.-elect Pat McCrory is calling for a 25-year transportation and infrastructure plan after leading a GOP sweep of the governorship and the Legislature.

As the Southeast's economy slowly begins to thaw, measures on the Nov. 6 ballot reflect both fiscal conservatism and pent-up demand for education and transportation needs.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport plans to start laying the groundwork toward building a fifth runway at a cost of $160 million.

The North Carolina state pension fund's investment in Facebook Inc.'s IPO is raising questions. The fund joined a class-action suit alleging it was misled.

The Southern Environmental Law Center Tuesday filed a federal suit on behalf of conservation groups challenging North Carolina's $1 billion Garden Parkway toll road.

The North Carolina Retirement Systems' pension fund benefitted from investments in bonds to return 2.21% for the year, State Treasurer Janet Cowell said Friday.

Municipal bond issuance in the Southeast during the first half of this year was up by 57% to $34 billion - nearly the same amount that was lost between 2011 and 2010.

The Federal Highway Administration put the brakes on North Carolina's second toll road this week and rescinded its approval of the Monroe Connector/Bypass project for which three tranches of bonds have been sold.

A Federal appeals court refused a rehearing on its decision to reject federal permits for North Carolina's Monroe Connector toll road.

On Monday North Carolina gained a budget but as of Tuesday afternoon Massachusetts and South Carolina remain without valid fiscal year 2013 budgets.