Puerto Rico

Assured Guaranty and National Public Finance Guarantee have sufficient capital positions to withstand a potential downgrade of Puerto Rico bonds, Standard & Poor's said in a note Wednesday.

Puerto Rico general obligations have outperformed AAA-rated GOs as municipal bonds have rallied this month.

Former Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation chair Sheila Bair has been named a director at Banco Santander, whose subsidiary is active in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico unemployment rate jumped to 15.4% in December from 14.7% in November.

Standard & Poor's put Puerto Rico's barely investment grade general obligation rating on rating watch negative late Friday, focusing on what it said was lowered cash reserves at the Government Development Bank.

The Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla has signed into law bills setting up a city sales tax bond structure.

Puerto Rico has a tremendous amount of debt when looked at from some angles but its debt burden appears less severe from others.

The federal government approved spending $2.5 million for a plebiscite on Puerto Rico's political status.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla has proposed several changes to oversight of the island's electrical system partly aimed at lowering electricity prices to strengthen the economy.

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla reached an accord with Puerto Rican mayors concerning cities' bank deposits and a municipal sales and use tax bond structure, key elements in his efforts to reduce the deficit and protect the island's investment grade credit rating.