News and Information from Bond Buyer

California's new law that requires municipal issuers to disclose to the California Debt Investment and Advisory Commission their private placements and direct loans from banks is beneficial to investors and analysts, according to Moody's Investors Service.

After three months of falling below projections, Kansas revenues rebounded in July, officials said.

Moody's Investors Service has downgraded $1.2 billion in New Jersey Housing & Mortgage Finance Agency bonds.

Inflows for all municipal bond funds fell off slightly this week from last week, but still remain fairly strong.

The California 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled Thursday that the state may resume selling $10 billion in bonds for its $68 billion high speed rail project.

Securities and Exchange commission member Michael Piwowar wants to explore the possibility of simplifying and standardizing municipal bond deals, because he believes that overly-complex transactions are contributing to muni market opacity and higher issuance costs.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services raised its underlying rating to A-plus from A on Pinal County Electrical District No. 2, Ariz.'s previously issued series 2007 electric system revenue bonds.

An unfavorable federal ruling on high quality liquid asset status for municipal bonds would sharply curb bank appetite for munis, said economist George Friedlander.

A rating boost affirms the ability of bond insurer Assured Guaranty to minimize its Puerto Rico exposure, according managing director John Hallacy.

Build America Mutual's AA rating and stable outlook has been affirmed by Standard & Poor's for its financial strength.

Escalating unfunded pension liability and bond-rating backlash will lurk as Pennsylvania's House of Representatives is set to reconvene at 1 p.m. Monday.

Market participants were not fazed by the positive economic data in the employment report released on a low volume summer Friday.

The state of California is planning to sell $2.8 billion of revenue anticipation notes in its lowest cash flow borrowing transaction in eight years.

U.S. inflationary pressures were higher in July, as the U.S. future inflation gauge climbed to 106.9 from the unrevised June 105.5 reading, according to data released Friday morning by the Economic Cycle Research Institute.

The chances that the commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its Government Development Bank (GDB) will not have the liquidity they are forecasting are significant and growing, says Moody's Investors Service.

The Senate keeps transportation dollars flowing with for at least 10 months with last-minute approval of the House's $11 billion highway fund bailout.

According to the ISM's monthly report on business, the ISM index gained to 57.1 in July from 55.3 in June.

Construction spending fell 1.8% in June, the Commerce Department said, but remains 5.5% above the June 2013 level.

The University of Michigan's final July consumer sentiment index reading was 81.8, compared to the preliminary July 81.3, and the final June 82.5, according to market sources.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it raised its long-term ratings by one notch, to AAA on Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB), Tenn.'s water division revenue debt.