News and Information from Bond Buyer

Some Hawaii military housing bonds received a Moody’s Investors Service upgrade ahead of a May sale.

In a financial mess that spans the Atlantic, Louisiana affiliates of a German wood pellet processing firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, potentially leaving bond investors on the hook for a project poised to receive millions in state incentives.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s $2 billion “NC Connect” bond referendum won easily Tuesday, when Republican voters also nominated him for a second term.

Blue ribbon panel studying Seattle area’s road funding needs says mileage fee is most sustainable revenue option.

The Federal Open Market Committee decided not to raise interest rates, but the new “dot plot” cut its median expectation for fed funds rate to 0.90% in December from 1.40%.

The Indiana Finance Authority plans to issue more than $100 million of state revolving fund bonds that will sell with a green bond designation.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has censured and fined Edward Jones $200,000 for misrepresenting taxable customer interest as tax-exempt and failing to adequately monitor its supervisory systems meant to address short positions the firm had in municipal bonds.

Oklahoma revenues for February ran 18% below projections as the state Legislature grapples with a budget gap of more than $900 million.

The inaction of local, state, and federal authorities in Flint took center stage during the second congressional hearing on the Flint water crisis.

Top-rated municipal bonds were weaker at mid-session, traders said, as the market moved into wary mode ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy announcement later Wednesday afternoon.

A New Jersey senator’s proposal to resolve the Puerto Rican economic crisis sets a dangerous precedent by elevating public pensions over the island’s other liabilities and thus undermining the time-honored priority of the general obligation pledge. And with many in the municipal market tiring of the island’s narrative and choosing to ignore the storyline, the consequences could be dire.

The addition of a municipal high yield team from Invesco Ltd. is intended to add depth to its City National Rochdale Municipal High Income Fund and bring its management in-house.

It was 1935. Across the United States millions of people were out of work during the Great Depression. But Herbert J. Sims had a vision -- so he borrowed some money from his mom and started a municipal bond business on Wall Street.

Top-rated municipal bonds were slightly weaker in early activity, traders said, as the market moves into wary mode ahead of the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy announcement on Wednesday afternoon.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual CPI Jan.: unch March: -0.2% March: -0.2% CPI Core Jan.: +0.3% March: +0.2% March: +0.3% Housing Starts Jan.: 1.120M March: 1.150M March: 1.178M Building Permits Jan.: 1.204M March: 1.200M March: 1.167M Industrial Production Jan.: +0.8% March: -0.3% March: -0.5% Capacity Utilization Jan.: 77.1 March: 76.9 March: 76.7

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority intends to hand its oversight board a $2 billion budget that trims its structural deficit from $242 million to $80 million.

Industrial production fell 0.5% in February, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday.

The New York region's service sector activity "expanded," according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's March Business Leaders Survey, released Wednesday.

Mar. 16, 2016 Midwest: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Illinois Baa1/A+/BBB+ 1.35 2.63 3.59 4.5 Indiana Aaa/AAA/AA+ 0.5 1.19 2.01 2.97 Iowa Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.5 1.18 2.01 2.97 Michigan Aa1/AA+/AA 0.53 1.21 2.12 3.1 Minnesota Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.5 1.17 1.93 2.86 Missouri Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.5 1.12 1.9 2.86 Nebraska NR/AAA/NR 0.5 1.21 2.06 3.05 North Dakota Aa1/AA+/NR 0.53 1.26 2.09 3.05 Ohio Aa1/AA+/AA+ 0.52 1.21 2.07 3.05 South Dakota NR/AA+/AA+ 0.52 1.21 2.09 3.07 Wisconsin Aa2/AA/AA 0.53 1.23 2.06 3

3/15/2016 3/8/2016 State # Iss Amount ($000) # Iss Amount ($000) Chg in Amt ($000s) Illinois 8 $70,560 12 $139,945 -$69,385 Indiana 7 47,750 7 216,380 -168,630 Iowa 11 52,830 6 19,250 33,580 Michigan 13 163,380 16 347,025 -183,645 Minnesota 25 226,975 26 330,023 -103,048 Missouri 3 94,000 6 137,835 -43,835 Nebraska 1 90,000 0 0 90,000 North Dakota 2 7,360 3 8,530 -1,170 Ohio 4 52,800 5 231,912 -179,112 South Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 Wisconsin 14 159,725 20 111,855 47,870