Public finance

The state’s transportation investment is estimated at $50 billion over the next decade and the commission’s recommendation is to increase total investment by at least $20 billion more in the next 10 years.

An outside consultant provided recommendations on how the commonwealth can catch up on its long-delayed financial reporting, including a multi-year CAFR.

The market took a much-needed breather Friday and U.S. Treasuries pared Thursday's losses to see the 10-year fall 12 basis points to 1.42% and the 30-year 17 basis points to 2.11%. Municipals were steady at 1.14% in 10 years and 1.82% in 30.

While issuance fell significantly from 2020, it was higher than January's and only the fifth time in 35 years that volume exceeded $30 billion in February.

Bills to expand the use of tax-advantaged bonds that are being reintroduced in the new Congress have favorable odds for being signed into law this year.

Taxable deals and refinancings fueled the 2020 volume spike as issuers adjusted to the coronavirus. The pandemic still looms over 2021.

Municipal bond mutual funds took notice of rate movements with Refinitiv Lipper reporting $37 million of inflows after 15 weeks of multi-billion inflows, the lowest since Dec. 2. High-yield funds took a big hit with $330 million of outflows.

“There’s been absolutely no effort made to take this collection of ideas and price it out,” Mayor Mike Duggan said of proposals to change the city charter.

BATA brings a refunding deal to market next week, buoyed by a financial position that stood up to the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The deal was the largest in the authority’s history, with the lowest ever interest rate for one of its sales and netting a record-breaking $112 million in interest cost savings.

Global bond yield move suggests financial markets are much more optimistic about the economy than the Fed.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Bernie Sanders want a broader infrastructure bill to pass through the reconciliation process while other lawmakers plan a bipartisan push for surface transportation.

The governor wants the first full actuarial contribution in 25 years, spurring discussion about what else one of the nation's lowest-rated states should do.

New York State’s public sector entities have more than $300 billion of unfunded other post-employment benefit liabilities, which accounts for a quarter of the nation’s total of $1.2 trillion of other post-employment benefit debt.

High-grade deals priced and secondary trading showed bonds exchanging hands at yields higher than triple-A benchmarks in some cases, but a healthy two-way flow was evident, even if there are signals that yields have not yet hit a ceiling.

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't delay the deal but it did influence the structuring of the new money and refunding deal.

The deal continues to offer better recoveries for the guaranteed Public Building Authority debt than for general obligation debt, but trading of the GOs blew up with more than $180 million exchanging hands to higher prices.

Jonathan Bowles of Center for an Urban Future explores how New York City could benefit from a green public works program. He also calls for unlocking the potential of CUNY and improving the city's capital construction process. Paul Burton hosts (17 minutes).

Reducing tax fraud is one of the goals of the fiscal plan approved by the Puerto Rico Oversight Board in May.

Data released Monday showed economic strength with further improvement ahead. U.S. Treasuries were off by five basis points but municipals saw aggressive eight to 10 basis point swings to higher yields across the curve.