Capital markets

Municipal bond insurers are running close to last year's clip through the first three months of 2019, as the two active insurers wrapped $3.61 billion in 288 transactions. That compares with $3.61 billion 257 deals during the same period last year. The insurance penetration rate dipped to 4.8% from 5.9% at the end of the first quarter of last year.

In the week ended April 11, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, was unchanged from 3.88% the previous week.

A planned new medical center for New Jersey’s Inspira Health Network on track for completion late this year drove a two-notch upgrade.

Lori Lightfoot picked Jeffrey Bethke to help address the city's pension and budget demands when she takes the helm next month.

Seth Magaziner's strategies mingle school construction borrowing and debt-management sessions with victims compensation, college savings and a small-business program.

Iona College may receive an upgrade from Moody's after boosting financial reserves through aggressive fundraising.

Refundings of recession-era stimulus bonds are driving California's robust sales volume.

The groundings of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and tariffs with China could have an impact on revenue growth among ports and airports.

The standalone grant anticipation revenue vehicle bond deal is the first of several tranches the state will issue over the next few years.

With plenty of cash looking to go to work, investors are not loving the calendar or what small allocations they will be allotted as we draw near the end of tax season.

California finds itself in a familiar spot, with the most muni issuance through the first three months of the year. The rest of the rankings show a mix of usual suspects and new faces.

Municipal underwriters jockey for position as business increased 21.9% from the first quarter of last year.

Owners of the privately owned passenger train project plan to ask the Florida Development Finance Corp. to approve more bonds Friday.

All of Hilliard’s municipal advisors and associates agreed to join Baird, expanding its presence in the public finance sector.

RBC Capital Markets hired Carlos Pineiro from Goldman Sachs, as a Managing Director in Chicago.

Joseph Rosenblum said he wore many hats, sometimes acting as financial analyst, political scientist, attorney, or investigator.

After two months of gains from 2018 levels, municipal issuance sank 7% from March last year as the loss of advance refundings continues to take a toll.

The massive New Jersey and New York agency announced a new underwriting pool for its plans to issue $8 billion of bonds over the next three years.

Chicago and Illinois poured more than $1 billion of their high-yielding, low-investment-grade rated GO paper into the market on the same day.

Ila Afsharipour will be based in San Francisco.