Market Intelligence analyst Jeff Lipton distills what he heard onstage and in the hallways at The Bond Buyer's 2026 National Outlook, from policy uncertainty and the muni tax exemption to AI's growing role and credit risk hotspots.
There were few surprises at Thursday's National People's Congress in China, said Societe Generale. China's 2026 policy stance marks a shift toward flexibility and sustainability, with a 4.5%-5% gross domestic product target replacing the long-standing "around 5%," in line with the bank's expectations.
Malawi's central bank Thursday said its Monetary Policy Committee decided to reduce the Policy Rate by 200 basis points to 24.0%. The MPC's decision comes "after observing a gradual decline in inflation," wrote the central bank in its policy statement.
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey?, showing the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.00%. ?Mortgage rates held steady at 6% this week, hovering near their lowest level since 2022,? said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac?s Chief Economist.
The Federal Reserve said Thursday it has terminated its 2018 enforcement action against Wells Fargo (WFC) after determining that the bank had met all of the required conditions. Wells Fargo (WFC) confirmed in a statement that the Fed Board of Governors ended the 2018 consent order, which was tied to "governance oversight and compliance and operational risk management."
Waste Connections (WCN) on Thursday said that it plans to proceed, subject to market and other conditions, to offer senior notes in an underwritten public offering. The company further said that the notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the company.
The Federal Reserve said Thursday it has terminated its 2018 enforcement action against Wells Fargo (WFC) after determining that the bank had met all of the required conditions. Wells Fargo (WFC) didn't immediately reply to a request for comment from MT Newswires. Price: 81.91, Change: -2.02, Percent Change: -2.41. MT Newswires does not provide investment advice.
Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) today announced that the Federal Reserve Board of Governors terminated the 2018 consent order regarding governance oversight and compliance and operational risk management. This press release features multimedia. About Wells Fargo (WFC) Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $2.1 trillion in assets.
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced on Thursday it had terminated the enforcement action it imposed on Wells Fargo (WFC) following the bank's widespread fake accounts scandal, saying the bank had sufficiently overhauled its operations. The central bank said it was lifting the action after nearly a decade of remediation work by the bank.
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced Thursday that it had terminated the enforcement action it imposed on Wells Fargo (WFC) following the bank's widespread fake accounts scandal, saying the bank had sufficiently overhauled its operations.
Malawi's central bank cut its policy rate by 200 basis points to 24% in the first rate-setting meeting under new governor George Partridge. "The current inflation outlook allows for a cautious reduction in the policy rate, while maintaining a sufficiently tight monetary policy stance, to continue steering inflation towards the medium-term objective of 5%," the bank said in a statement.
* Weekly jobless claims unchanged at 213,000. * Continuing claims increase 46,000 to 1.868 million. * Worker productivity slows to a 2.8% rate in fourth quarter. By Lucia Mutikani. The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week and layoffs dropped sharply in February, consistent with stable labor market conditions.
British government bond yields climbed sharply on Thursday and investors reduced further their bets on an interest rate cut by the Bank of England this month due to the surge in energy prices caused by conflict in the Middle East.
* Bombing of Tehran intensifies as war enters day six. * Fed report says US economic activity rose a bit in recent weeks. * US weekly jobless claims unchanged last week. * February US employment report due on Friday. By Anmol Choubey.
Waste Connections (WCN) said Thursday it plans to launch an underwritten public offering of senior notes. The company said it intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with cash on hand, to repay a portion of the borrowings outstanding under its revolving credit facility. Price: 169.20, Change: -0.62, Percent Change: -0.37. MT Newswires does not provide investment advice.
Waste Connections, Inc. (WCN) announced today that it plans to proceed, subject to market and other conditions, to offer senior notes in an underwritten public offering. BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan, PNC Capital Markets LLC and Truist Securities are acting as joint book-running managers and underwriters for the Offering.
BlackRock (BLK) said Thursday that it plans to add nine exchange-traded funds to its iShares iBonds lineup, extending the maturity range across US Treasuries, Treasury inflation-protected securities, investment-grade corporate debt, high-yield bonds and municipal securities.
Richmond Fed president Tom Barkin said still high inflation and stronger recent jobs numbers may shift the Fed's risk outlook at a time when the U.S. conflict with Iran could further push up key consumer prices. Fed rate cuts last year were based on "the sense that the risks of the labor market were up while the risks to inflation were down.
BlackRock (BLK) builds on its leadership with the industry?s broadest range of target maturity fixed income ETFs. BlackRock (BLK) today announced plans to expand its iShares? iBonds? ETF platform with the launch of nine funds, extending the franchise?s maturity range across U.S. Treasuries, TIPS, investment grade corporates, high yield and municipal bonds.
The macroeconomic backdrop will have substantially changed when the European Central Bank meets again in two weeks from its last meeting, said ING. With the war in the Middle East, the risk of inflation undershooting and consequently a debate on further rate cuts should definitely be off the table, wrote the bank in a note.
US initial jobless claims remained at a level of 213,000 in the week ended Feb. 28 after a small upward revision in the previous week, compared with expectations for a level of 215,000 in survey of analysts compiled by Bloomberg. The four-week moving average fell by 4,750 to 215,750 after rising by 1,000 to a level of 220,500 in the previous week.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits was unchanged last week while layoffs dropped sharply in February, consistent with stable labor market conditions. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits were flat at a seasonally adjusted 213,000 for the week ended February 28, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
The head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development told Reuters on Thursday that Turkey must "stay on course" in its inflation fight, and she applauded steps taken by the central bank this week to address market fallout from war in the Middle East.
The US dollar rose against its major trading partners early Thursday, except for a decline versus the Canadian dollar, ahead of the release of weekly jobless claims, Q4 productivity and import and export prices for January, all at 8:30 am ET.
The yen has held up relatively well so far in response to the energy price shock triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, said MUFG. The yen has been the third-best-performing G10 currency after the US and Canadian dollars since the end of last week, wrote the bank in a note to clients.
Commerzbank in its "European Sunrise" note of Thursday highlighted: Markets: United States Treasuries bear-steepen in Asia. Fed: Federal Reserve's Beige Book reports economic activity increasing at a moderate pace with persistent inflation and a stable but softening labor market. Fed: President Donald Trump formally nominates Kevin Warsh to serve as Federal Reserve chair.
Aluminium prices pulled back on Thursday after rising for three sessions in a row on supply concerns, as the dollar firmed and the market awaited further news from smelters in the war-hit Middle East.
Beginning Q2 2026, ISS will provide integrated facilities services, including cleaning, mailroom, front of house and workplace services, to multiple sites across England, including the Bank?s historic headquarters in the City of London.
EUR/USD remains fragile as energy turns bid again amid the Middle East conflict, said ING. Another soft day for equities on Thursday, where Europe underperforms the United States, could see EUR/USD back at the 1.1530/50 area, wrote the bank in a note. There are a few speakers from the European Central Bank on Thursday, including Luis de Guindos, Olli Rehn and Christine Lagarde.
Billionaire Venture capitalist points to privacy and fungibility concerns, while debate grows over corporate bitcoin strategies such as Strategy?s massive holdings.
A steep selloff in U.S. Treasuries continued for a fourth day on Thursday, as investors fretted that surging energy prices from the war in the Middle East could stoke inflation and derail the Federal Reserve's rate outlook.
* Long war seen pushing inflation up, growth down. * De Guindos says baseline is for short conflict. * Rehn warns against excessive optimism. By Francesco Canepa and Jan Strupczewski. Three European Central Bank policymakers warned on Thursday that euro zone inflation would likely rise, and growth sag, if the war in Iran were to become drawn out and suck in more countries.
A temporary surge in oil prices to $100 per barrel could slow global growth by 0.4 percentage point, Goldman Sachs (GS) analysts said on Thursday, as a widening conflict in Iran chokes off vital Middle East oil and gas flows.
Aptiv (APTV) said late Wednesday that a newly formed holding company for its electrical distribution systems unit priced an expanded $1.6 billion private debt offering. The transaction features equal $800 million in senior notes maturing in 2031 and 2034, which represent a $100 million increase from the original target, the company said.
The United Arab Emirates central bank governor said on Thursday, six days into the conflict in the Middle East, that the country's banking and financial sector is resilient, strong, stable, and well-positioned to navigate regional developments.
U.S. stocks closed down on Thursday as the Middle East conflict entered its sixth day, pushing oil prices higher and spurring worries about inflation and whether the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates.
* KOSPI leads Asian market surge with 11.2% gain. * U.S. Senate backs Trump's military campaign against Iran. * China sets 2026 growth target at 4.5%-5% By Rocky Swift. Asian shares rallied on Thursday and U.S. Treasuries declined, pointing to a tentative recovery in risk appetite that has been hammered by the escalating war in the Middle East.
Company entered into capped call transactions to increase effective conversion premium to 100% ? Company to repurchase approximately 334,000 shares of common stock using approximately $70.5 million of net proceeds Los Angeles, March 05, 2026 -- Dave Inc. (DAVE) today announced the pricing of an offering of $175 million principal amount of its 0% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 through a private offe...
China's 2026 economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% is achievable and will help it cope with uncertainties, cabinet research head Shen Danyang told a press conference on Thursday, after the government unveiled key goals. "This year, the external environment for China's economic development has become even more complex and volatile," Shen said.
Aluminium prices extended gains on Thursday as concerns grew about supply from the war-torn Middle East after Aluminium Bahrain halted shipments. The most-active aluminium on the Shanghai Futures Exchange jumped 3.55% to 25,365 yuan a metric ton by 0215 GMT.
Asian shares rallied on Thursday and U.S. Treasuries declined, pointing to a tentative recovery in risk appetite that has been hammered by the escalating war in the Middle East. South Korea's KOSPI gauge recovered its steep losses in the prior session following a rebound on Wall Street. Chinese shares climbed as party elites in Beijing unveiled their wide-ranging economic and development targets.
In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
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