News and Information from Bond Buyer

The Supreme Court has set March 22 as the date it will hear oral arguments on an appeal of a lower court ruling that a local Puerto Rico restructuring law is not allowed under federal bankruptcy law.

The Port of Oakland has lost its second-largest terminal operator, a blow that Fitch Ratings said should be manageable.

A $327 million University of Kansas bond sale that used a Wisconsin conduit issuer drew criticism from lawmakers seeking to ban future out-of-state deals.

Fiscally distressed Wayne County, Mich., expects $23 million in fiscal 2016 budget relief from cuts in retiree healthcare benefits that trimmed $850 million from its unfunded liabilities.

In a newspaper column Tuesday, the governor said he would not support budget cuts that could throw universities into financial exigency and close hospitals in order to deal with Louisiana's budget crisis.

The busiest day of the week is underway as deals from issuers in Texas, Maryland and Georgia have hit screens.

Backers of a California initiative that would require referendums for state revenue bonds defend measure.

The first Philadelphia Area Municipal Analyst Society meeting of 2016 will provide an outlook for what to expect in the municipal bond market this year.

Recent opinions issued by the California attorney general’s office may have some municipal advisors and broker-dealers treading carefully to avoid breaking Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board rules.

Signs of slower growth and worrisome global finances prompted Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan to suggest the Fed be "patient" about hiking interest rates, according to published reports.

Investors should be wary of riskier market sectors, while increasing liquidity and credit quality as they position their portfolios for the year ahead, Warren Pierson, senior portfolio manager at Baird Advisors said.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $37 billion 91-day bills and $30 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

After a frenzy-filled day in the primary on Wednesday, with the pricing of the Chicago Board of Education's $725 million deal that was originally scheduled for the previous week, the action will continue Thursday with a slew of large deals from issuers in Texas, Maryland and Georgia.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Initial Claims 1/23: 277,000 1/30: 280,000 1/30: 285,000 Continuing Claims 1/16: 2.273M 1/23: 2.240M 1/23: 2.255M Productivity Q3: +2.1% Q4: -1.6% Q4: -3.0% Unit Labor Costs Q3: +1.9% Q4: +3.8% Q4: +4.5% Factory Orders Nov.: -0.9% Dec.: -2.6% Dec.: -2.9%

ALABAMA

CONNECTICUT

Feb. 4, 2016 Southeast: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Alabama Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.42 1.05 1.76 2.82 Florida Aa1/AAA/AAA 0.44 1.08 1.83 2.84 Georgia Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.4 0.99 1.68 2.71 Kentucky Aa2/A+/AA+ 0.44 1.13 1.88 2.94 Louisiana Aa2/AA/AA 0.48 1.24 2.08 3.12 Mississippi Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.43 1.12 1.91 2.97 North Carolina Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.4 0.99 1.68 2.72 South Carolina Aaa/AA+/AAA 0.4 1.01 1.71 2.75 Tennessee Aaa/AA+/AAA 0.4 0.99 1.71 2.72 Virginia Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.39 0.98 1.67 2.7 West Virginia Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.41 1.06 1.8 2.86

2/3/2016 1/27/2016 State Iss Amount ($000s) Iss Amount ($000s) Chg in Amt ($000s) Alabama 1 $1,920 1 $2,485 -565 Florida 2 1,318,430 2 165,000 1,153,430 Georgia 2 257,355 0 0 257,355 Kentucky 10 112,785 10 207,615 -94,830 Louisiana 4 39,535 5 40,960 -1,425 Mississippi 0 0 1 1,900 -1,900 North Carolina 0 0 0 0 0 South Carolina 12 361,520 0 0 361,520 Tennessee 3 89,280 0 0 89,280 Virginia 6 387,830 4 419,820 -31,990 West Virginia 0 0 0 0 0

Thursday, February 4 Issuer St Description Amount

Thursday, February 4 Issuer St Description Amount