North Dakota just can’t seem to keep itself out of the economic headlines these days – but the news bodes well for the Peace Garden State. An influx of residents flocking to the state to reap the benefits of the energy boom has created a ripple effect in the service industry, which has also expanded in order to accommodate the expanding population.
Month: March 2014
Puerto Rico’s Retail Trading Mess
The municipal yield curve flattened dramatically in sympathy with the recent movement in the Treasury curve. This quasi-instantaneous response move was rather surprising for the normally slow-moving tax-exempt market; could a new age of muni volatility be upon us? Plus … When it comes to Puerto Rico, there is never any dearth of controversy, it seems.
Muni Market Returning to Normal, Except For Supply
Market Outlook In the absence of substantial economic news, the fixed-income markets were focused today on Janet Yellen’s first meeting as Federal Reserve chairperson. Although no major policy announcement was anticipated, there were expectations that the Fed would...
Consolidated City-County Governments Can Benefit Local Economies
by Mardee Handler, managing editor The journey for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas officially began on April 1, 1997, when voters approved a measure to consolidate the governments of the City of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte...
Puerto Rico’s Mega-Issue: A Post-Mortem
As we like to say in the investment business, there often comes a point where fear in the marketplace turns into greed. The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico found that inflection point this week with its epic high yield G.O. issue … At the risk of stating the obvious, once the imminent threat of restructuring receded, the 8.00%+ yield proved too irresistible, even to those who couldn’t take advantage of the triple tax exemption.
Twitter: A Powerful Tool in Your Municipal Research Arsenal
by Mardee Handler, managing editor For those of you who say you don’t have time to add Twitter to your municipal research toolbox, I beg to differ: you’re the ones that can potentially benefit the most from it. For those of you who say you don’t know where to start,...
Record “High Yield” Puerto Rico Deal Looms as Muni Supply Returns
The supply outlook in the tax-exempt sector brightened considerably this week as the new issue calendar returned to a more normal level of about $5 billion. Next week, the muni market’s attention will be fixated on the new Puerto Rico GO issue, slated to price on Tuesday, March 11.
MuniNet Fondly Remembers Peter Fugiel
Every now and then, you meet a person who affirms your faith in humankind. Peter Fugiel was that kind of man. On Sunday, March 2, we lost our good friend and a veteran of the municipal bond industry. Throughout his illness, his concern for others never waned, not even...
Do Per-Pupil Expenditures Impact Student Performance?
by Mardee Handler, managing editor It is not necessarily true that spending more money on students – based on per-pupil expenditures – translates into student performance. At least that’s what the numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)...