News and Information from Bond Buyer

The goal of a rating agency is to facilitate commerce and to protect investors, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency’s CEO James Nadler. He and managing director William Cox also discuss the effort to foster a healthy dialogue with investors. John Hallacy is host.

Business inventories were up 0.3% to $1.967 trillion in September, while sales were 0.4% higher at $1.468 trillion, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

Chicago is coming to market Thursday with its delayed sales tax securitization bonds.

Initial jobless claims rose 2,000 to 216,000 in the week ended November 10, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Manufacturers report expansion at a slower rate in November.

Prices paid remained elevated, employment levels rose and business activity expanded faster in November, according to the Empire State Manufacturing Survey.

The NASBO report released Thursday showed some bright spots for state ledgers.

The Chicago City Council approved the 2020 budget in a near unanimous vote.

Moody's Investors Service placed the school district on review for an upgrade.

The municipal bond market saw several large deals hit the screens on Wednesday, led by issuers in Michigan and South Carolina.

Distinguishing abusive `pennying' from less insidious behavior is key, dealers told the MSRB.

The city’s incentive plan supports a $5 billion proposal to fill a 40-acre low-lying hole in downtown with a mixed-use development.

Riverside is the latest Illinois municipality to be downgraded because of underfunded pensions.

Municipals were mixed at mid-session as the market prepared to take on a spate of new supply.

“Asset recycling can help fix America’s serious infrastructure problems: aging, deteriorating facilities and a lack of funding for a large array of new infrastructure that would improve our quality of life," the study's author said.

With COFINA and GDB deals moving forward, the Public Buildings Authority, Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, and University of Puerto Rico may be next in line.

S&P Global Ratings downgraded Oak Lawn to BBB.

Retail giant Amazon announced separate joint second headquarters in New York City and Arlington, Virginia.

Gov. Pete Ricketts, who won re-election last Tuesday, has said that expansion costs will be covered by existing revenue.

Suggestive of possible near-term growth in issuance, municipal CUSIP requests rebounded in October.