News and Information from Bond Buyer

Municipals offer higher quality than corporate bonds, tax advantages, diversity, as well as higher yield and less duration risk than their Treasury counterparts, two municipal analysts said in reports this week.

New York City expects to save $3.4 billion on health care by 2018 through municipal labor agreements, said director of labor relations Robert Linn.

Prices of top-rated municipal bonds were mixed on Thursday, the last full trading day of the week, with yields unchanged to slightly higher.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $24 billion three-year notes on April 7.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $21 billion 9-year, 10-month 2% notes on April 8.

The Treasury Department said it will auction $13 billion 29-year 10-month 2 1/2% bonds on April 9.

The Treasury Department said Thursday it will auction $24 billion 91-day bills and $24 billion 182-day discount bills Monday.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority raised concerns Wednesday night about the forbearing bondholders plans' assumptions.

New orders for manufactured goods increased 0.2% in February, after falling a revised 0.7% in January, first reported as a 0.2% decline, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

New York City business activity "shifted into neutral" in March, as the current business conditions index declined to 50.0, from 63.1 in February, the Institute for Supply Management-New York's Report on Business index, released Thursday, indicated.

The Board of Regents for Texas A&M University will be in the municipal bond market on Thursday, selling two separate issues totaling almost $290 million in the competitive arena.

Connecticut's estimated general fund deficit for fiscal 2015 has spiked to $172.8 million and leaders should act on it now, said state Comptroller Kevin Lembo.

Lower tax refunds helped lift Arkansas' March revenues $43.3 million or nearly 8% above forecast for the month, according to state Department of Finance and Administration director Richard Weiss.

A $110 million Glendale, Ariz., plant designed to turn debris into energy has fallen to the junk-bond category after the private operator required another $8 million of debt to make the plant operational.

Apr. 2, 2015 Southeast: Plain/Insured GO Yield Curve* State Ratings One-Year Five-Year 10-Year 30-Year Alabama Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.19 1.29 2.06 2.9 Florida Aa1/AAA/AAA 0.23 1.34 2.1 2.97 Georgia Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.19 1.23 1.95 2.79 Kentucky Aa2/AA+/AA+ 0.22 1.37 2.16 3.02 Louisiana Aa2/AA/AA 0.22 1.4 2.19 3.06 Mississippi Aa2/AA/AA+ 0.22 1.35 2.15 2.98 North Carolina Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.19 1.24 1.95 2.79 South Carolina Aaa/AA+/AAA 0.19 1.26 1.99 2.83 Tennessee Aaa/AA+/AAA 0.19 1.26 1.99 2.82 Virginia Aaa/AAA/AAA 0.19 1.23 1.94 2.78 West Virginia Aa1/AA/AA+ 0.22 1.34 2.12 2.98

4/1/2015 3/25/2015 State Iss Amount ($000s) Iss Amount ($000s) Chg in Amt ($000s) Alabama 3 $77,635 0 $0 77,635 Florida 4 693,735 8 1,085,160 -391,425 Georgia 1 83,020 0 0 83,020 Kentucky 8 75,035 9 121,775 -46,740 Louisiana 4 81,500 4 130,780 -49,280 Mississippi 2 16,705 4 191,785 -175,080 North Carolina 4 352,655 4 238,365 114,290 South Carolina 0 0 3 90,820 ?90,820 Tennessee 0 0 3 33,710 -33,710 Virginia 4 195,155 9 1,097,040 ?901,885 West Virginia 0 0 1 30,005 -30,005

Thursday, April 2 Issuer St Description Amount

Thursday, April 2 Issuer St Description Amount

Week Of March 30 Issuer St Description Amount

ARKANSAS