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The Baa3 rated government will now have more trouble supporting the struggling Guam Memorial Hospital, Moody's Ratings said.

European stock markets closed mostly higher in Thursday trading as The Stoxx Europe 600 rose 0.59%, Germany's DAX gained 1.35%, the FTSE 100 was off 0.2%, France's CAC increased 1.13%, and the Swiss Market Index advanced 0.54%. The euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate rose to 6.3% in August from 6.2% in July, and was unchanged from a year earlier, while European Union unemployment wa...

Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey?, showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.34%. ?The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage increased again this week but remains below its 52-week average of 6.71%,? said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac?s Chief Economist.

With pension fund hedging largely in the rearview mirror, interest rate differentials are likely to become a more dominant driver of foreign exchange movements, said Desjardins. Uncertainty remains around which central bank -- the Bank of Canada or the Federal Reserve -- will ultimately ease more relative to current market pricing, stated Desjardins.

The board also said it plans to return more than $23 million in surplus operating reserves to the municipal bond industry.

National Bank of Canada maintained its Outperform rating and $4.25 price target for Foran Mining (FMCXF) after a site tour of the McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan. The site was significantly further advanced since the bank's last visit in October 2023, with construction 56% complete and progressing 6-8% per month.

Political dysfunction is far and away the leading economic and policy concern for muni market participants, according to a new Bond Buyer infrastructure survey.

Bank of Tanzania Thursday said its Monetary Policy Committee decided to leave the central bank rate at 5.75%. Inflation in mainland Tanzania was 3.4% year over year in August, "well" within the target range of 3%-5%, while in Zanzibar it declined to 4.0% year over year from 4.2%, which was also within the target, noted BoT in its policy statement.

ING said it expects the Reserve Bank of New Zealand to cut rates by 25bps to 2.75% next Wednesday, in line with consensus and pricing. Markets are betting on two more cuts after October, which looks a bit premature, having not yet seen Q3 consumer price index data, wrote the bank in a note.

While the cost of caring for older people can pressure municipal issuers, in states like Florida wealthy seniors can also contribute to economic vibrancy.

The yen weakened modestly at the start of Thursday's European trading session following a closely watched speech from Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida, said MUFG. The Japanese rate market has moved recently to price in a much higher probability of the BoJ resuming rate hikes at the end of this month, wrote the bank in a note to clients.

Wall Street futures pointed again to new highs, as investors crowded back into tech shares and bet on rate cuts from the Federal Reserve. Following the sagging ADP national employment report on Wednesday, the CME FedWatch tool estimates a 98.9% chance of a 0.25% rate cut at the central bank's late October policy session.

Eurozone inflation accelerated on Wednesday, with the headline consumer price index hitting 2.2% year over year while core stayed at 2.3% for the fifth consecutive month, said ING. The figures were fully in line with market expectations and largely driven by energy prices, wrote the bank in a note.

California Water Service (CWT) said late Wednesday it sold $170 million worth of senior unsecured notes and, through a subsidiary, $200 million of first mortgage bonds in private placement deals. The notes consist of $70 million of series A 4.87% notes due 2032 and $100 million of series B 5.22% notes due 2035, while the bonds consist of $200 million of 5.64% bonds maturing 2055, the company said.

Shutdowns that delay data and weaken fiscal visibility often encourage central banks to act more cautiously, while rising yields in Japan hint at policy shifts that could ripple through global funding markets.

California Water Service Group (CWT) today announced today the sale of $170,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Senior Unsecured Notes by Group and $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of First Mortgage Bonds by California Water Service Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Group, in private placement transactions.

Royal Caribbean said Wednesday it completed a $1.5 billion registered public offering of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due 2036.

If the shutdown lingers, disruption to key economic data releases could increase market uncertainty, said Tom Kozlik of HilltopSecurities.

Summit Utilities Oklahoma used reserve funds to help cover an Oct. 1 payment on taxable bonds sold in 2022 through the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority.

Two surveys released Wednesday presented mixed trends in the US manufacturing sector for September, with Institute for Supply Management data showing continued contraction and an S&P Global (SPGI) report indicating growth losing steam amid tariffs-related concerns. The ISM purchasing managers' index edged up to 49.1 last month from 48.7 in August, but marked a seven straight month of contraction.

There were several developments since the July Monetary Policy Report that pushed the Bank of Canada to resume an interest rate easing cycle in September, even as there were some arguments in favour of keeping policy unchanged, while Governing Council members didn't offer any clues about the future path, said Tiago Figueiredo over at Desjardins after reading the central bank's latest 'Summary o...

The Supreme Court said that they would hear oral arguments on President Trump's ability to dismiss Fed Governor Lisa Cook in January, allowing her to remain in her position until at least then, and possibly until their ruling in the summer.

Financial stocks were decreasing in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index down 0.5% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund shedding 0.7%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was easing 0.1%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund was slipping 0.2%. Bitcoin was increasing 3.1% to $117,536, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 3 basis points to 4.12%. US ...

US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading on Wednesday as healthcare helped offset losses, while a failure by lawmakers to extend fiscal-year 2025 funding by Tuesday midnight sent government bond yields lower.

Financial stocks were decreasing in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index down 0.5% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund lower by 0.7%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was easing 0.1%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund was slipping 0.2%. Bitcoin was increasing 3.1% to $117,536, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 3 basis points to 4.12%. In ...

SIFMA looks forward to "the SEC approving this rate card, and the resulting fee reductions," Leslie Norwood said.

National Bank of Canada on Wednesday maintained an outperform rating and C$84.00 price target on the shares of Exchange Income (EIFZF) ahead of the company's third quarter results.

Supply is expected to rebound in October, when BofA Securities estimates that issuance will reach $58 billion.

Employment in the US private sector fell in September, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported Wednesday, while a federal government shutdown left the release of the official jobs report for last month in limbo. Private jobs decreased by 32,000 last month, ADP reported.

Quebec's provincial government released its public accounts for the 2024-25 fiscal year on Friday, with the deficit for FY25 improving from $8.1 billion to $5.2 billion, representing 0.8% of gross domestic product, said Desjardins. The fiscal improvement for FY25, first hinted at in a late June release, is driven by both stronger own-source revenues and lower-than-expected spending.

National Bank of Canada maintained Topaz Energy's Outperform rating and $33.50 price target after the company announced a tuck-in acquisition, which it said was "highly complementary." The $72 million transaction with Tourmaline Oil (TRMLF) continues to expand and compound Topaz's value trajectory, National Bank said.

National Bank of Canada kept DPM Metals' Outperform rating and $38.50 price target unchanged as its Loma Larga feasibility study showed a "buoyant" net present value at spot prices. The feasibility study shows an after-tax NPV above National Bank's carrying value, tempered by higher capital expenditures and a potential environmental license suspension amid opposition from local stakeholders.

The Reserve Bank of Australia held its cash rate at 3.6% this week, as widely expected, said UBS. The press release struck a slightly hawkish tone as it highlighted stronger data on growth and inflation, while RBA Governor Michele Bullock surprisingly kept a dovish tilt in the press conference, wrote the bank in a note to clients.

Sophisticated issuers and investors shared insights into how they navigate the complexities of the municipal bond market at The Bond Buyer Infrastructure event.

The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that federal agencies would lose $400 million each day during a shutdown.

The Institute for Supply Management's US manufacturing index rose to 49.1 in September from 48.7 in August, slightly above the expectations for a 49.0 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:50 am ET. There were gains in the readings for production, employment and order backlogs, but declines in the readings for new orders and prices.

Among the many impacts of the current federal government shutdown is the postponement of key government-produced economic data releases, sources of information that the Federal Reserve will want as it considers another rate reduction at its next meeting, Oct. 28-29.