Investments

University of Oregon's plans to price $50 million March 17 represents its first direct sale to the markets.

The state of Kentucky will provide half of the financing needed to build a state-of-the-art medical research facility that will target diseases that disproportionately affect residents of the Commonwealth.

Small colleges are having a hard time but college mergers may help out, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Pressure from constituents may be best hope for quick congressional approval of a long-term federal transportation bill, industry advocates say.

Moody's Investors Service has raised its outlook to stable from negative on the University of Arizona as it prepares a $228 million debt issue at the end of the month.

States seeking to boost their transportation funding are finding gasoline tax increases as the most effective path to progress.

Texas Tech University System earned an upgrade from Moody's Investors Service and prospects for another from Standard & Poor's based on its growing financial resources, strong brand recognition and enrollment increases across its four campuses.

KENTUCKY

ALABAMA

Sweet Briar College in Virginia, which announced that it will close this year, said it will pay its bond and debt obligations after Standard & Poor's lowered its bond ratings to B-minus from BBB.

An airline group asks Congress to oppose a proposal by airports for a 90% boost in a federal passenger fee that funds capital projects.

Weekly municipal volume is set to increase to a three-month high, led by bond sales from the University of California and New York City.

ALABAMA

CALIFORNIA

For the week ended March. 5, the weekly average yield to maturity of the Bond Buyer Municipal Bond Index, which is based on 40 long-term bond prices, moved up two basis points to 4.27% from 4.25% the previous week.

Standard & Poor's has revised its outlook to positive on University of Central Missouri's A rating.

BlackRock, Inc. is expanding its iShares Exchange Traded Fund business with a municipal bond fund.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Republican legislative leaders have reached agreement on a $9.1 billion budget that cuts higher education spending by 14% and delays plans to build a private prison.

A bill designed to ease Detroit's first appearance in the public debt market since its bankruptcy sailed through a Michigan legislative committee and could come before the Senate next week.

The House passes a four-year Amtrak funding bill that requires a study of high-speed passenger rail from Washington, D.C., to Boston.