Banking

Fitch Ratings ranks the credit as AA, up from AA-minus.

Geography is playing a role in financial health as debt issuance rises.

Moody's has lifted the credit ratings on five special tax bonds.

BNP Paribas' Lindsay Costigan discusses the progress and ongoing challenges for women in the financial sector, her role in pushing for gender parity and diversity in finance, and how critical career decisions at pivotal moments can define success.

"Just like the ATM became an additional transaction channel in the banking industry, I believe distributed ledger technology will provide municipal issuers with a similarly valued tool to sell their bonds," said Rick Coscia, Quincy's Strategic Asset Manager.

The growing federal debt level may pressure lawmakers to retract or reduce the tax-exemption for munis to generate revenue, some market participants argue.

John Hallacy of John Hallacy Consulting and Rich Ciccarone, president emeritus of Merritt Research Services, talk with Chip Barnett about the municipal bond business over the past 40 years. They take a look back at where the industry has been, where it is and where it will be going.

Andrew Nakahata, who led UBS' western public finance region, will now do the same for TD Securities.

Costanzo is only the fourth woman to lead a municipal banking division. Huntington has hired Citi's entire Midwest public finance banking group, and Costanzo said the firm intends to further grow its footprint in the municipal space.

Cabrera Capital Markets is welcoming three new public finance hires who are joining the firm from UBS: Shawn Dralle, Shawnell Holman and Chris Bergstrom.

Loop Capital Markets is adding four seasoned public finance professionals from Citi and UBS: John Malpiede, John Giammarino, Alain Garcia and Candace Kelly.

With economic uncertainty ahead and the Federal Reserve potentially shifting to interest-rate cuts, analysts should take a closer look at individual issuers' financial disclosures.

Coolidge joins Oppenheimer from UBS, which closed its public finance business in October.

The current property insurance crisis in several states may dramatically shorten the climate risk horizon for municipal investors. The municipal market's relaxed attitude toward climate risk may be seriously challenged in the years ahead.

"BNP Paribas choosing Miami to open its newest office reinforces our community's status as a top financial market within the global economy," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

The BSBY interest rate benchmark was originally envisioned as a successor to the once-ubiquitous Libor rate. But it failed to gain much traction, and Bloomberg now plans to shut it down next year.

Municipal Market Analytics noted the current size of the outstanding TOB market — at about $50 billion from highs of nearly $500 billion before the Financial Crisis — reflects a reduced credit concentration risk and lower overall leverage.

Teacher shortages and enrollment declines due to growing charter and private schools are two of the problems affecting school financing.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office said it's reviewing whether 10 financial companies, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, violate a state law that punishes firms for restricting their work with the oil-and-gas industry because of climate-change concerns.

The embattled Senator has an extensive understanding of public finance issues and has worked with muni groups on important legislation.