News and Information from Bond Buyer

The Treasury Department said Monday it will sell $40 billion of four-week discount bills Tuesday.

Both Assured Guaranty Ltd. and MBIA Inc. have shrunk their legacy structured finance exposures significantly from peak levels since the financial crisis. As a result, these exposures have become less of a credit risk for Assured; however, they remain a serious risk factor for MBIA Inc.'s subsidiary, MBIA Insurance Corp., according to a report from Moody's Investors Service.

Builders' confidence in the market for new single-family homes grew as the National Association of Home Builders' housing market index slipped to 57 in December from 58 in November.

Industrial production rose 1.3% in November, the Federal Reserve reported Monday.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed "business activity declined for New York manufacturers," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Monday, as the general business conditions index plunged to negative 3.58 in December from positive 10.16 in November.

New York's MTA seeks up to $300 million in federal funding for infrastructure improvements for the L subway line to account for a spike in ridership.

Gov.-elect Charlie Baker, who remembers the commonwealth's BBB days, wants Massachusetts to aim for a triple-A rating.

Monday, December 15 Issuer St Description Amount

Monday, December 15 Issuer St Description Amount

Week Of December 15 Issuer St Description Amount

INDIANA

Volume will dip considerably low this week as issuers are expected to pare back financings to roughly a third of the early Christmas bonanza they delivered last week.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has received many comments on its rule 15c2-12, but is able to respond on only a limited basis because the request for comment is limited in scope, members of the commission's muni office told issuers Thursday.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard said the city has tapped an international consortium led by Meridiam Infrastructure and Walsh Investors LLC to partner on a $400 million new criminal justice center that will the largest public-private project of its kind in the U.S.

Government

The federal government has given Illinois and Indiana the go ahead to advance plans for a more than $1 billion bistate toll road both states hope to build with financing from a public-private partnership.

In November Puerto Rico General Fund revenues came in 0.7% short of budget, while the commonwealth's sales and use taxes came in 9.5% above November 2013.

A federal judge in Chicago has signed off on Harvey, Ill.'s settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over charges it misled investors by diverting bond proceeds from their intended use.

Teaming with state and local investigators, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is launching a sweeping investigation of public corruption in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

The municipal bond market is looking ahead to the new week's lighter calendar — and to the last full trading week of the year. Traders took a breather after seeing between $25 billion and $28 billion in new supply come to market in just the past two weeks. Municipal bond prices closed out the week higher, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year falling under 2%, according to Municipal Market Data.