News and Information from Bond Buyer

Unable to recover from its financial woes, the Doctors Medical Center in Contra Costa County is being pressured to close or significantly downsize, which could impose a financial burden on the county, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The Detroit City Council has approved a series of four bond issues that include nearly $1 billion of new limited-tax GO bonds to help finance unsecured creditor settlements as part of its bankruptcy plan.

With little supply and investors seeking high-grade bonds, Wake County, N.C., hopes to fill some of those needs a $345 million competitive GO deal Tuesday.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it lowered its long-term rating six notches to CC from B on Boynton Beach, Fla.'s series 2012A tax-exempt and 2012B taxable revenue bonds, issued for and supported by the Charter School of Boynton Beach.

Illinois-based OSF Healthcare System's A3 rating is stabilizing due to recent operating improvements after a tough 2013, Moody's Investors Service said.

Standard & Poor's has revised its outlook on Springfield, Ill.'s City Water, Light & Power's electric revenue bonds to stable from negative.

Bondholders finally exhaled as the Puerto Rico power authority's critical LOC was extended, strengthening prices on PREPAs debt to 50.

Moody's Investors Service said it upgraded the ratings on the Lakeland, Fla., electric enterprise revenue bonds to Aa3 from A1.

Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric, which just retired bonds related to nuclear plant ownership, has proposed public financing and ownership of controversial new natural gas pipeline capacity.

The University of Michigan's preliminary August consumer sentiment index reading was 79.2, compared to the final July 81.8, and the preliminary July 81.3, according to market sources.

Market participants said with the light new issue calendar next week the big question will be "what do I do with my money?"

Industrial production rose 0.4% in July, the Federal Reserve reported Friday.

Though New Jersey and California are on starkly different credit paths, municipal analysts said their recent trading patterns suggest equally-strong demand.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey showed conditions "continued to improve for New York manufacturers, but the improvement was less widespread than in the previous month," the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Friday as the general business conditions index dropped to 14.69 in August from 25.60 in July.

Moody's Investors Service said it has downgraded to A1 from Aa3 the rating on Dodge County School District 1 (Fremont), Neb.'s outstanding general obligation debt.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority announced agreements with insurers and bondholders controlling more than 60% of PREPA's outstanding bonds to amend existing bond documents to provide PREPA with liquidity and for PREPA to appoint a chief restructuring officer.

Indicator Last Report Forecast Actual Initial Claims 8/2: 290,000 8/9: 295,000 8/9: 311,000 Continuing Claims 7/26: 2.519M 8/2: 2.500M 8/2: 2.544M Import Prices June: +0.1% July: -0.4% July: -0.2%

Week Of August 18 Issuer St Description Amount

Friday, August 15 Issuer St Description Amount