Southeast

Bankrupt Jefferson County, Ala., reached a settlement with Depfa Bank to reduce the interest rate on $162.5 million of variable-rate school warrants.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded to B2 from Aaa the rating of $1.6 million of outstanding taxable multifamily housing revenue bonds issued by the Harrisonburg, Va., Redevelopment & Housing Authority in 2001.

Florida's largest county, Miami-Dade, got a boost when Moody's revised the outlook on the county's credit to stable from negative.

A new deal to build the Atlanta Falcons a new $1 billion stadium is emerging since state lawmakers would not support it. The Atlanta Development Authority may issue bonds instead.

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.

Moody's and S&P last week dropped Ohio, Ky.'s $83.3 million of pollution control refunding revenue bonds for Big Rivers Electric Corp. below investment grade.

Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday announced that Georgia's net tax collections for January totaled $1.73 billion for an increase of nearly $164 million, or 10.4%.

Raymond James Financial plans to drop Morgan Keegan from the name of its fixed income arm later this month.

St. Petersburg, Fla. has failed to break a years-long stalemate between the city and the Tampa Bay Rays over the team's quest to build a new Major League Baseball stadium.

Bank of New York Mellon's suspension of bankrupt Jefferson County, Ala.'s sewer warrant payments prompted Standard & Poor's to drop its rating to D, while Moody's said investors are now subjected "to the risk of higher losses."