Higher education bonds

Moody's Investors Service has warned that Louisiana's growing budget problems will pressure finances at the state's public universities.

The Board of Trustees for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system takes competitive bids Wednesday on $78 million of new money and refunding bonds.

A strong investment portfolio means that the Texas Permanent University Fund will continue to grow even after oil prices lost half their value in 2014, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said it affirmed its BB long-term rating and underlying rating on the University of Puerto Rico's existing university system revenue bonds, some of which were issued by the Puerto Rico Industrial, Tourist, Educational, Medical, & Environmental Control Facilities Financing Authority, and removed the ratings from CreditWatch with negative implications.

Arizona State University will begin a major remodeling of its 56-year-old Sun Devil Stadium this spring, financed in part by a $356 million bond deal coming to market Feb. 24.

Alabama State University's long-term ratings were dropped far into junk territory, to B from BBB-plus, by Standard & Poor's Jan. 30 due to the “significant” erosion of reserves.

Standard & Poor's has revised its outlook on Columbia College Chicago's underlying BBB-plus rating to negative from stable over its operational struggles and management turnover.

Standard & Poor's lowered the outlook on Arizona State University's AA rating based on prospects for increased debt issuance over the next two years, the agency said.

Fitch Ratings views favorably two recent developments in San Francisco Community College District's accreditation battle, according to a report released Friday.

Standard & Poor's maintains a negative outlook on the nonprofit higher education sector in 2015.

The University of Notre Dame's sale Tuesday of $400 million of taxable bonds may have won the lowest corporate yield for a 30-year maturity in history, according to the finance team.

The University of Notre Dame is selling $400 million of Aaa-rated taxable bonds this week to refund hedged variable-rate bonds and raise money for the largest building project in the university's history, centered on its iconic football stadium.

The University of Colorado will bring $89.3 million of refunding bonds to market as opportunities for interest-rate savings continue.

Texas A&M University is looking for strong demand and low interest rates to continue in the new year as it brings a $377 million refunding deal to market.

Nine years after the last tuition revenue bonds were approved by the Texas Legislature, a bill pre-filed for the 2015 session seeks $2.86 billion of TRBs for construction projects at the state's college and university systems.

Moody's Investors Service has revised Ohio-based Kenyon College's outlook to stable from negative on its A1 rating as the school's stronger performance in fiscal 2014 is expected to continue.

The Illinois Finance Authority board signed off Rush University Medical Center $600 million refunding and issues that will help finance Chicago Navy Pier's big overhaul and finance construction of a compressed natural gas station for Pace suburban bus service.

A San Francisco Superior Court judge will decide in January whether to uphold a decision to terminate the accreditation of the City College of San Francisco.

Indiana University is selling $56 million of so-called green bonds Wednesday, the second public university to tap into the young market.

Tarleton State University, part of the Texas A&M University System, plans to build a new Fort Worth campus on 80 acres of land donated by the Walton Group of Companies.