Public finance

ARKANSAS

ILLINOIS

Morningstar entered the analyst research sector for public finance Monday as it unveiled its fundamental municipal research offering. The research will focus on 100 municipal issuers and reports for about one million muni bonds.

Table as of: 07/13/2012 16:23 PM Invisible Supply Issuer and purpose Amount

ALABAMA

MINNESOTA

A regulator will allow bond insurer MBIA Inc. to make a payment on surplus notes issued in 2008, the company said.

The outlook for bond-financed transportation infrastructure remains stable, but could possibly see a downturn if the slow economic recovery loses momentum or if banks are downgraded. according to a new mid-year report from Fitch Ratings.

Large issues from Illinois and New York lead the new-issuance charge in the municipal market this week. Total potential volume is expected to climb to $8.14 billion this week.

Table as of: 07/12/2012 14:11 PM Invisible Supply Issuer and purpose Amount

CONNECTICUT

ALABAMA

Municipal market participants are praising rules finalized by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that except most state and local governments from having to clear interest rate swaps through a derivatives clearing organization.

The municipal market has been fairly energized this week by the simple economics of supply and demand.

In a stunning reversal of recent patterns, tax-exempt money market funds amassed $4.64 billion of new cash as total net assets soared to $274.7 billion in the week ended July 9.

The market continued to show its confidence in municipal bond mutual funds with strong inflows following a holiday week of relative inactivity.

Nearly three-quarters of the tobacco settlement bonds rated by Moody's Investors Service will default if smokers keep up their current pace of kicking or cutting back on their habit, the agency warns in a new report.

An analysis of rating actions shows that public-private partnerships are highly exposed to the effects of downgrades and negatives outlooks applied to participants in the P3, according to a report from Moody's Investors Service released Thursday.

Aerostar Airport Holdings and Gruopo Aeuropuertos Avance submitted their proposals for a public-private partnership to run the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport this week.