News and Information from Bond Buyer

FLORIDA

10/5/2015 9/28/2015 State Amount ($000s) Iss Amount ($000s) Chg in Amt ($000s) Arizona 4 $185,625 0 $0 $185,625 Arkansas 8 122,610 2 59,100 63,510 Colorado 2 14,796 2 101,800 -87,004 Kansas 4 58,700 5 141,800 -83,100 New Mexico 1 5,000 0 0 5,000 Oklahoma 10 43,535 11 37,785 5,750 Texas 30 1,807,920 15 354,310 1,453,610 Utah 0 0 1 24,295 -24,295

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual ISM Non-Manufacturing Aug.: 59.0 Sept.: 57.5 Sept.: 56.9

Government

California plans to price $446 million in veterans’ general obligation bonds on Oct. 7 and 8 in a combined refunding/new money sale so it can offer more home loans to veterans.

Fitch Ratings upgraded to A from A-minus the ratings on a Florida Department of Transportation TIFIA loan that financed a rental car facility in Miami.

Connecticut’s $840 million special tax obligation transportation bond sale included a record $442 million of retail orders, said state Treasurer Denise Nappier.

The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service should create guidance to facilitate the development of public-private partnerships, the tax-exempt financing committee of the American Bar Association’s taxation section recommended.

Arkansas remained ahead of its revenue forecast three months into the fiscal year, with September income 3% above projections, according to John Shelnutt, head of economic analysis and tax research.

A Glendale, Ariz., trash recycling project has fallen to a D rating by Standard & Poor’s after missing its interest payments.

At least three major Wall Street firms have not settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission under its Municipalities Continuing Disclosure Cooperation initiative, noted some lawyers who were involved with a National Association of Bond Lawyers survey on the impact of MCDC.

Prices of top-quality municipal bonds were weaker at close on Monday, according to traders with yields on some maturities strengthening as much as three basis points. Market participants got action from larger deals during the first day of the week for a change, as issuers from Florida and Texas came to market and Tuesday is expected to be an even busier day.

Royal Dutch Shell's decision to walk away from its unsuccessful drilling efforts in the Alaskan Arctic is credit negative for Alaska, Moody's Investors Service said Monday.

Chicago-based investment firm David A. Noyes & Company has hired former Indiana public finance director Mark Moore as part of an expansion of the firm’s Indiana investment banking team.

For the second straight quarter, Bank of America Merrill Lynch nabbed the top spot for municipal underwriters, increasing its lead for the 2015 overall and creating some distance going into the final quarter of the year.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has submitted a revised amended financial recovery plan for the teetering Chester Upland School District.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) has broken ground on a new life sciences and engineering facility financed partly by the Garden State's $750 million Building Our Future Bond Act.

Congressional negotiators fail to find agreement on use of international tax reform to support multiyear transportation funding.

The Securities and Exchange Commission said Monday that it reached an undisclosed settlement with two ex-JPMorgan bankers involved in Jefferson County, Ala.’s sewer deals.

Many public agencies in California do not have an internal control system to manage their bond funds, according to a draft report for a task force commissioned by State Treasurer John Chiang.