Broker-dealer firms are stepping up in the primary market to fill the gap left by Citi’s dramatic exit from the municipal bond business last December, but a test of how secondary market liquidity stands up to the firm’s departure remains to be seen. That’s according to broker-dealer and financial advisor panelists speaking Monday at the

Although New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams didn’t shed much light on the timing of federal interest rate cuts during a fireside chat at Milken Institute’s Global conference in Beverly Hills on Monday, he did offer some insight into his thinking. Amid stubbornly high inflation, the Federal Reserve reiterated in its post-meeting statement

Illinois will issue $1.8 billion of general obligation bonds — $250 million taxable Series 2024A and $1.55 billion tax-exempt Series 2024B — to fund accelerated pension benefit payments and capital expenditures through the Rebuild Illinois program.  The fixed-rate bonds are expected to price this week. Jefferies, Siebert Williams Shank and Barclays are joint senior managers

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green failed to convince lawmakers to consider legislation that would have allowed struggling Hawaii Electric Co. to issue bonds backed by a rate increase. Senate Bill 2922, introduced by Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Chair Jarrett Keohokalole, would have allowed HECO to issue up to $2.5 billion in low-interest bonds, if it

Oklahoma’s list of investment banks determined to be “boycotting” the fossil fuel industry expanded with the addition of Barclays, making it ineligible for state and local government contracts, State Treasurer Todd Russ announced Friday.  Barclays joins Bank of America, JP Morgan, and Wells Fargo, which were placed on the list last year under the state’s

When Oregon voters consider $1.23 billion in bond measures on the May 21 ballot, issuers will be hoping for a more favorable outcome than local issuers received in November. Only two bond measures totaling $19 million were approved in November out of the $474.95 million requested during the special election. “Historically, the November election has

Legislation that would pave the way for a Colorado bond authority to issue debt for its purchase of a hotel that inspired Stephen King’s The Shining cleared a state Senate committee this week ahead of the May 8 end of the legislative session.  The Colorado Educational and Cultural Facilities Authority (CECFA) is pursuing buying the

After a down year, healthcare issuance has rebounded as systems reenter the bond market to deal with pent-up needs. Despite this recovery, challenges still persist. Healthcare issuance is up 122.2% year-over-year through April, rising to $9.062 billion through the first four months of 2024 from $4.078 billion over the same time period in 2023, LSEG

President Biden’s newly revised environmental permitting rules to implement his climate and environmental-justice agenda faced swift pushback from construction groups and Republicans who say it will delay critical infrastructure and drive up costs. The administration Tuesday released a final rule to revise the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, the rule that governs how it