BondsOnline, an online resource for bond investors, recently launched a unique new feature that tracks rating agency actions and commentary regarding ratings changes for municipal bonds.
The Municipal Credit Ratings Press Release database includes over 16,000 announcements of ratings announcements by Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch for municipal bonds and energy sector corporate bonds dating back to 2008.
“Many municipal bond investors who have been jarred by recent volatility in the market need to reassess their municipal bond portfolio’s quality, says David Landes, chief executive officer of BondsOnline. “The uncertain financial position of many state and local governments has only added to that need.”
The decrease in municipal bond insurance has also created a greater need for information pertaining to underlying credit quality, he explains. “The decision to invest in municipal bonds has become much more involved.”
The Credit Ratings Press Release database allows users to find, compare, and track ratings-related activities by the three major municipal bond rating agencies: Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch. The database is national in scope, and covers most large issuers – as well as many smaller issuers, including housing authorities, healthcare systems, and universities. Users can browse through the database for a list of recent changes, or search by issuer.
BondsOnline, launched in 1996, provides individual and institutional investors with news, quotes and trade data for fixed income securities, including municipal bonds, corporate bonds, Treasury and agency bonds, and preferred securities. While some features of BondsOnline are subscription-based, many, including the Credit Ratings Press Release database, are available free of charge.