Capital markets

Fitch Ratings said it has downgraded the ratings of the United States Virgin Islands and the USVI Public Finance Authority.

The channels to communicate with investors – things like investor websites - make it easy and cost effective even for small bond issuers to do so effectively.

Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation was dropped from the single A category by Moody’s Investors Service.

Moody’s projects more utility privatizations as local issuers look to cope with financial distress and sidestep maintenance and compliance costs.

Build America Mutual, after surviving a credit watch with its double-A rating intact, posted mixed results in the second quarter.

New Jersey’s Essex County neared the top of the bond rating charts 15 years after sitting in triple-B territory.

Primary municipal bond market volume is expected to increase to $6.7 billion.

Material financial problems, including federal sanctions, led Moody's to lower the rating to B1.

Moody's dropped Mercy Hospital to B1, affecting $71 million of debt.

A mix of debt restructuring and labor concessions could keep Connecticut's capital out of bankruptcy court.

The borrowing will pay for settlements with six casino properties.

The leadership change comes after a rating setback prompted the firm to stop seeking new muni business.

Former William Blair banker Peter Raphael joined the firm's public finance team.

The end of a casino revenue sharing agreement impacts the city's credit, says S&P.

John Sugden reflected on his 15-year career as an analyst and pension expert for S&P Global Ratings.

The rating boost from Moody’s Investors Service came ahead of a $250 million bond sale.

Foxconn, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer, said it will make a $10 billion investment in southeastern Wisconsin.

Peter DeGroot, Strategist and Head of Municipal Research at JPMorgan, joins us to discuss his views on the municipal market for the second half from both the technical and credit aspects. Hosted by John Hallacy.

Primary municipal bond market volume is expected to inch up to $7.3 billion, as analysts expect the muni market to stay on a path of suppressed supply and deep demand.

The state's appropriation backed debt was also upgraded.