Buy side

Westinghouse Electric filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, raising more questions about the prospects of two under construction nuclear units in the southeast that were partly financed with municipal bonds.

Moody's Investors Service is asking market participants to comment on a proposal to publish certain internal issuer ratings.

Chicago expects the veto-proof passage in early April of an identical bill to the one vetoed Friday that saves its municipal and laborers' pension funds from insolvency, the city's finance chief told investors Monday.

The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, fell seven basis points to 4.27% in the latest week from 4.34% in the previous week.

The 12-month investment gains of Rhode Island's pension fund topped $1 billion, state General Treasurer Seth Magaziner announced.

Heightened concern about a potential Westinghouse bankruptcy filing resulted in negative outlooks on municipal bonds issued for new nuclear units the company is building in Georgia and South Carolina.

Moody’s Investors Service retained a negative outlook on Catholic Health Initiatives $5.7 billion of rated debt after lowering the healthcare giant to Baa1 from A3. The downgrade comes less than a month after a similar move by S&P Global Ratings.

A pension reform group took issue with a University of California report that argues that fully funding pensions may be a "misguided" goal.

Foreign investors increased holdings of municipal bonds by 16% last year, according to report released by Van Eck on Tuesday.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s 8-year extension of its lucrative broadcast agreement with two major broadcasting networks wasn’t enough to stave off a downgrade.

In the week ended March 16, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index rose two basis points to 4.34% from 4.32%.

Long-term structural balance in New Jersey remains elusive thanks to continued deferral of full funding for future retirement obligations, said S&P.

New Jersey’s financial stress is influencing investors, as reflected in recent trading levels.

The sovereign powers and strong general obligation repayment statute supporting Illinois’ investment-grade ratings are being tested by budget gridlock and what one analyst describes as approaching “service level insolvency.”

The SEC wants a Puerto Rico federal court to agree that Jose Ramirez, a former UBS Puerto Rico employee, engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in closed-end funds with large investments in Puerto Rico bonds.

The past 20 years have seen a transformation in the municipal market, marked by technological advances, tougher regulation and an increase in credit quality concerns.

The weekly average yield to maturity of The Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, rose seven basis points to 4.32% in the latest week from 4.25% in the previous week.

Chicago is a standout as the "worst" among its big city peers in key pension system measurements, according to a new S&P Global Ratings pension report.

Former Washington State Treasurer Jim McIntire has joined Star Mountain Capital, a lower middle-market asset management firm, as a strategic advisor serving public pensions and other institutional investors.

OppenheimerFunds will acquire Seattle fund manager SNW Asset Management to expand its high-quality municipal bond offerings.