MuniNet Guide Archive
Which Public School Districts Spent the Most Per Student in 2009-10?
The New York City School District spent $19,184 per pupil in the 2009-10 (“fiscal 2010”) school year - more than any other large public school district in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in its recently released report on...
A Record-Breaking Fertilizer Deal That Does Not Stink…Yet
The tax-exempt market treaded water last week as new issues were reasonably well-absorbed and secondary market activities remained relatively subdued. Now that tax time is over, market participants are waiting for signs that mutual fund flows will be returning to the...
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Still Risk Aplenty
The week of April 15th also held a special meaning for holders of tobacco bonds backed by the so-called Master Settlement Agreement between the big tobacco companies and most of the states.
Thoughts On A Potential Muni “Armageddon”
After a lackluster first wave of first quarter earnings, the ensuing selloff in equities has provided good support for the fixed-income market, with municipals roughly keeping pace with the move in Treasuries.
Throwing in the Towel on Inflation?
In the aftermath of the Boston bombing, the Treasury market went into its predictable flight-to-quality mode, with municipals underperforming as a result. The primary calendar, consisting primarily of large, liquid issues, was absorbed with relative ease and...
Muni Bond Insights: New Column Offers Municipal Bond Market Commentary
MuniNet Guide is pleased to introduce Muni Bond Insights, a bi-weekly column written by Triet Nguyen, managing partner of Axios Advisors. In this column, Nguyen will offer his views on the municipal bond market, the week’s new issue calendar and other topics of...
Municipal Bond Market Outlook
By Triet Nguyen, Axios Advisors LLC April 16, 2013 As former Bostonians, our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and families affected by yesterday’s tragedy. Welcome to the premiere installment of Muni Bond Insights. We’re grateful to MuniNetGuide.com for...
Mining the Web: U.S. Prison Population on the Decline
The Pew Public Safety Performance Project (PSPP) recently released a project updated entitled, “U.S. Prison Count Continues to Drop.” The update says that after nearly four decades of “explosive growth,” the U.S. prison population declined for two years in a row (from...
Home Buyers to Lenders: Where is the Inventory?
by guest contributor Peter Fugiel, Ph.D. As the U.S. home markets begin to improve, it is clear that realtors and buyers alike are looking for more middle-market inventory. A few years ago, the hot topic was that the markets were too fragile for a major distressed...
Massachusetts Investor Website Breaks Ground in State Investor Relations
In some instances, the redesign of a website can provide aesthetic changes to give it a fresh new look. In others, it can mean starting from the foundation, constructing a “new and improved” website that catapults it to a new level of distinction. The redesign of the...
Update: Stockton Chapter 9 Bankruptcy Approved
(Updated - 4/3/13) In June, Stockton California became the largest U.S. city to file for municipal bankruptcy protection. (See Stockton: From Fiscal Distress to Municipal Bankruptcy. ) On April 1, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Klein ruled...
Mining the Web: NASBO State Budget Summaries
The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) recently released summaries of governors’ proposed budgets for fiscal 2014. The 22-page report includes a summary of the proposed budgets from 47 states. Common themes include: Increased...
America’s Infrastructure Barely Makes the Grade
Despite modest improvement, the 2013 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure points to aging roads and bridges, outdated energy grids, and transportation systems in need of attention, maintenance, and improvements.
Mining the Web: Megacommuters in the U.S.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Census Bureau released a fact-packed report on commuting patterns across the nation. The release, entitled, Megacommuters: 600,000 in U.S. Travel 90 Minutes and 50 Miles to Work, and 10.8 Million Travel an Hour Each Way, Census Bureau...
Axios: Puerto Rico Bonds Closely Tread the Investment Grade Line
Puerto Rico has, once again, garnered the attention of the municipal bond market. On March 13, Standard & Poor’s downgraded Puerto Rico G.O. bonds to BBB-, just one notch above “junk bond” status. Moody’s already made a similar move back in December 2012. Axios...
State and Local Governments Receive $607 Billion in Federal Funding in 2011
Despite the nation’s own deficit problems, which parallel those of many state and local entities, the funding connection between the federal government and state and local governments remains strong. According to a report just released by the...
GDP Increased in Two-Thirds of Nation’s Metro Areas in 2011
GDP increased in 242 of the nation’s 366 metro areas in 2011, fueled by growth in professional and business services, trade, and durable goods manufacturing. Parallel trends often run between employment and economic trends.
New “College Scoreboard” Helps Students and Families Make More Informed Choices
Tuition costs, graduation rates and employment data are just the beginning. This interactive tool boosts accountability and transparency among public and private colleges across the U.S.
A Tale of Two Financially Transparent Cities
“Transparency in government”... Merely buzzwords until they are put into action. And despite the push for more openness and greater accountability by the investment community, watchdog groups, and taxpayers, exemplary cases of transparency in city government are still...
States’ Report Card on Education: Quality Counts 2013
The grades are in. Which states rise to the head of the class, and which could use some extra help? See the results of the annual Quality Counts report, which examines six categories to determine education quality in the nation and individual states
November Employment Update: Is Las Vegas Making a Comeback?
In November 2012, the national unemployment rate was 7.4 percent, down from 8.2 percent a year earlier, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor of Statistics. By comparison, 217 of the nation’s 372 metro areas posted unemployment rates below the national...
State and Local Government Policy Organizations React to Fiscal Cliff Bill
How will the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) - or, as some call it, the “Fiscal Cliff” bill - impact state and local governments? The reactions are just beginning to roll in, but the consensus appears to be that the answer remains to be...
3 Reasons State and Local Government Employee Wellness Programs Make Sense – Even (Especially) Now
Times are tough. As a result, many state and local governments throughout the country are looking for ways to tighten the purse strings. An obvious strategy is to cut expenses, eliminating non-essential programs and services in order to balance budgets. While employee...
Report Weighs in on Credit Risk of Puerto Rico Bonds
Concerns about Puerto Rico’s credit outlook have intensified in recent months, evidenced by the dramatic underperformance of its bonds during a period of strong inflows into the municipal sector, according to a special report from Axios Advisors, an independent...
Steep Drop in Home Prices Affects Local Tax Bases
by guest contributor, Peter Fugiel, Ph.D. Anticipated drops in local property taxes will most likely cause the states to intervene. And while they’re at it, they need to introduce necessary local government reforms. Backdrop: In the summer of 2012, Zillow commented to...