Moody's

Moody's also upgraded other Florida locality bonds recently as a result of a revised cities and counties rating methodology.

Florida's Aaa credit is a factor in all the upgrades, the rating agency said.

S&P Global Ratings placed more than 400 state and local government issuers under criteria observation as the agency adopts an updated rating methodology.

"That's great news, and it reflects the outstanding work and commitment of our city council and my administration to keep Tampa on rock-solid financial footing," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

The agency cited a sustained commitment to healthy reserves and structural balance.

Moodys says it is placing additional weight on the states' Aaa ratings in determining the Garvee ratings.

Both ratings agencies cited the health system's improved liquidity in recent years.

"The upgrades incorporate our view of New Hampshire's improved economic and demographic growth trends that continue to perform near or above those of the U.S. and regional peers," said analyst Thomas Zemetis.

Set to be priced by Jefferies on Monday for retail investors and on Tuesday for institutions, New York City's tax-exempt general obligation bond deal is tentatively structured in four series with two subseries.

This decision will accelerate foreign buyers' reduced presence in the muni market, said Vikram Rai, head of municipal markets strategy at Wells Fargo.

The ratings agency cited federal support and military spending on the island as keys to its decision.

"The upgrade reflects an expected continuation of very strong and consistent operating performance and revenue growth," Moody's said.

Moody's also affirmed the A1 rating on the authority's $3.2 billion of general revenue bonds and the A2 rating on the $2.5 billion of general revenue junior indebtedness obligations.

"Higher education is going to be facing continued challenges in the near term," said Tom Kozlik, managing director at Hilltop Securities.

The downgrade of Issaquah School District 411 to Aa1 affects $670 million in debt.

The number of municipal bond delinquencies declined in the third quarter, despite some dramatic outliers that Moody's Investors Service characterized as idiosyncratic in a report released Monday.

The upgrade "reflects a material improvement in the MTA's fiscal outlook, which was largely driven by New York State increasing the maximum rate of the payroll mobility tax," Fitch said.

The upgrade was spurred by improving ridership as well as increased financial flexibility, said S&P credit analyst Joseph Pezzimenti.

The Bond Buyer's Keeley Webster talks ratings, fare integration and potential solutions to the Bay Area Regional Transit's current challenges with Bryant Jenkins, a managing principal with Sperry Capital. (34 minutes)

The downgrade reflects the school district's weakened financial position, Moody's Investors Service said, adding that while the district's operating deficits have moderated significantly, they will persist over the next fiscal year.