Buy side

Branding experts argue against ditching ESG. Instead, they say, the finance industry needs to better explain what ESG is.

"This week will likely have been the last active week of the year, but it turned out to be quite eventful," according to Barclays PLC.

The new video-sharing app will combine social media technology with crowdsourced content to inform on all things investing, says founder Charles Qi.

The October event will feature private and public sector experts on education, community development and ESG.

"We really have worked hard during this strong stretch here of economic performance over the last 18 months or so to really kind of address some of those lingering debts we inherited," said Illinois Office of Management and Budget Director Alexis Sturm.

Retail investors may be moving out of municipal bond mutual funds and into separately managed accounts, largely due to the headline shock of the massive outflows from the funds, participants say.

Fiona Ma delivered speeches Monday at The Bond Buyer California Public Finance conference and California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission pre-conference.

Monday's opening panel of The Bond Buyer California Public Finance conference in Los Angeles was an insiders' look at muni market challenges and opportunity.

The state will hold an in-person and remote investor meeting Sept. 21 before heading into the market the following week.

Join Peter O'Neill, Director and Senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager, at Bank of America, and Blake Lynch, Head of Business Development, IMTC, as they discuss the role of separately managed accounts in the muni market with The Bond Buyer's Lynne Funk.

Chicago put its message on fiscal progress directly to bondholders at the annual investors conference last week.

Chicago projects a $127.9 million gap looms in 2023. That's down from the $306 million projected in May and the $867 million from last year's forecast for the coming year.

Chicago will conduct a full-court press of the buy side next week.

Investors pulled $698.782 million out of municipal bond mutual funds, per Refinitiv Lipper data, versus the $206.127 million of inflows the week prior. High-yield saw small inflows.

BlackRock's Head of Municipals Peter Hayes lays out the muni landscape for the rest of the year, highlighting opportunities for the asset class after the severe volatility so far in 2022.

The condition of infrastructure projects should be included in bond pricing metrics as many infrastructure assets around the country have turned into liabilities.

The ISS ESG Muni QualityScore was previously designed for the buy- and sell-side, but it has expanded its offerings to issuers with datasets focused on their specific locations.

After 40 years in the municipal bond industry — 35 of them at American Century — Steve Permut left the California-based mutual fund firm on June 30 for retirement.

The three public finance professionals added to BondLink’s issuer relations team are part of the company’s ongoing initiative to help its network navigate a turbulent market.

The investors conference allows city officials to pitch investors on its pandemic recovery and future fiscal prospects while investors get the chance to scrutinize those efforts and pose their own questions.