Wisconsin

Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. has preliminarily agreed to pay a penalty and disgorge ill-gotten gains to settle SEC charges that it misled five Wisconsin school districts, which ultimately lost $200 million from investments that failed during the financial crisis.

Wisconsin’s bigger municipalities are faring better fiscally than their smaller neighbors, says a report from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities and Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.

The issuers of the Midwest sold $41 billion of municipal bonds in the first half of 2016, spurred by increased new money issuance, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Wisconsin lawmakers warn that a looming $940 million road revenue gap may require a higher gasoline tax.

Wisconsin is taking advantage of record low interest rates with about $915 million of general obligation and appropriation-backed bond refundings. Credit: Adobe Stock

With construction crews ready to get to work this summer, Wisconsin-based issuers will sell $235 million of debt this week to cover most of the public's price tag for a new $524 million arena for the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.

Dana Lach has returned to Foley & Lardner’s healthcare finance, public finance and finance and financial institutions practices, the law firm announced on Thursday. She will be working out of the firm’s Milwaukee office.

The Wisconsin Center District board formally signed off Friday on a more than $200 million bond financing for the new Milwaukee Bucks arena, paving the way for a June sale.

The Wisconsin Center District is finalizing plans for a $203 million deal to cover much of the public tab for the new Milwaukee Bucks basketball arena.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s administration is defending its decision for a second consecutive year to defer repayment of commercial paper instead of retiring it as originally planned in the budget.

Milwaukee takes competitive bids Thursday on $300 million of notes and bonds, and plans another sale in June to support a basketball arena.

Despite what they say is low unemployment in their states, four governors who spoke on a panel at the Milken Institute Global conference said job creation is their main priority.

Illinois-based MercyRockford Health System is bringing a $495 million deal to lay the groundwork for both a new hospital and new identity as Mercy Health Corp.

St. Louis-based Ascension Health Alliance is set to bring $1.9 billion of bonds to market in deals that fold into one package the system's new money needs, refunding opportunities and refinancing of inherited debt.

Leaders of the Public Finance Authority take issue with criticisms that the Wisconsin-based national conduit issuer only exists to usurp local control from taxpayers and other bond-issuing authorities.

Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan LLP, a national minority-owned law firm based in Milwaukee with an 11-strong public finance team, will shut down at the end of this month.

A $327 million University of Kansas bond sale that used a Wisconsin conduit issuer drew criticism from lawmakers seeking to ban future out-of-state deals.

A Wisconsin town has won back its investment grade rating after renegotiating direct purchase contracts with its banks.

Investment banking firms have until Dec. 22 to submit qualifications to Wisconsin as the state prepares new underwriting and dealer pools for negotiated sales under its various bond programs.

SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford, Ill. won an upgrade from Standard & Poor's and also received a positive outlook thanks to its nearly year-old affiliation with a stronger system.