News and Information from Bond Buyer

The top 5 competitive underwriters remained in the same ranking positions as 1H 2023, while there was some shuffling with the remaining in the Top 10.

Challenges to laws banning investment banks from underwriting municipal bonds and the targeting of other financial firms for divestment purposes may result from a recent Oklahoma ruling.

The largest is an up to $2 billion issue to replace the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge.

"While supply has been outsized over the last several weeks, the market has also seen outsized reinvestment demand over the last several months," said Nuveen strategists.

Kaufman Hall & Associates, Caine Mitter & Associates, KNN Public Finance entered the Top 10, while CSG Advisors, Estrada Hinojosa and Columbia Capital Management were bumped.

Revenue from the sales tax could be used to issue long-term debt to reduce the extensive backlog of city projects.

Vance has called for eliminating the SALT deduction, calling it "massively redistributive toward the lower- and middle-income brackets."

Philadelphia-based Janney Montgomery Scott has been fined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for reporting inaccurate times of trade on 391 municipal securities transactions.

Half of the top 10 issuers are from New York, California issuers hold two spots on the list.

Raymond James was the sole new entrant in the Top 10, knocking out Citi — which formally exited the muni market by the end of Q1 2024.

North Dakota's Bismarck State College returned to the market, pricing $30 million of bonds, with proceeds used to finance the construction of an 80,000-square-foot athletic center.

This week again sees elevated supply, as issuance sits at $9.673 billion, with Tuesday being a very busy day.

First Eagle Investments has hired Purva Patel, based in Chicago, as managing director and senior investment specialist on its high-yield municipal credit team.

The Texas Water Development Board expects to sell up to $1.8 billion of tax-exempt and taxable bonds in September.

The judges will take written statements to decide whether to rehear the case, although petitions for rehearing are generally rejected, one observer noted.

Municipalities face the most difficulty in attracting and winning new hires compared to all other financial sector participants.

The St. Louis-based senior-living facilities operator has almost $80 million in bonds outstanding.

Scott Colbert, Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at Commerce Trust Company, says the bond market remains attractive despite recent fluctuations, noting investment-grade taxable bonds and long-term municipal bonds offer solid opportunities for investors, especially in the current interest rate environment. He also discusses monetary policy and economic expectations.

In Texas, the Austin City Council set a climate bond election for no later than November 2026, while an Arizona water authority is dealing with a funding drought.

The initial reaction was a little bit a flight-to-quality trade in rates, which is supportive of USTs and munis as safe-haven assets do well during times of uncertainty, said Chris Brigati, senior vice president and director of strategic planning and fixed income research at SWBC.