Research & Gradings
Below you will find selected samples of Past and Current articles from our publications. To download or read the the full publication please Subscribe.
Congratulations to the analysts elected to receive the great and important honor of belonging to Smith's All-Star Analysts Team in 2020. Even if awards and accolades are presented by presidents and kings, none will be more important than the 2020 All-Star Municipal Analyst Award.
On Thursday, November 19, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin sent a letter to Fed Chair Powell indicating that he would be allowing most of the Fed's 13(3) emergency lending facilities to expire at year-end, and requesting that the Fed "return unused funds to the Treasury" in order for Congress to "re-appropriate $455 billion, consisting of $429 billion in excess Treasury funds for the Federal Reserve facilities and $26 billion in unused Treasury direct loan funds."
If you want to get a feel for municipal transportation credit, watch REM's video "Can't Get There From Here" which was filmed at a drive-in movie theater in Georgia in 2010. It's available on YouTube and the video is, well, "poor quality."
The rollercoaster ride that is the U.S. economy is likely to continue through into the first half of 2021.
Targeted Infrastructure programs will be one of the featured revitalization tools used for stimulating growth in the US economy post the COVID-19 pandemic. Many observers have anticipated massive large-scale infrastructure programs, but that may not be viable at this time, given the financial capabilities of many state and local governments.
Economic development related to transportation in and around Washington, D.C. underscores the tremendous limitations and challenges facing the area.
Extreme winter weather hit 44 states and caused power outages for millions of Americans. Texas reported 10 deaths due to the cold temperatures. Smith's ESGradings has conducted decades of research on climate change. This year's events are due, in part, to La Nina.
We have reached the point where interest rates have become sufficiently low that the viability of issuing taxable municipal bonds to refund higher coupon tax-exempt bonds in an issuer’s capital structure has become an active strategy.
Kroll Bond Rating Agency's (KBRA)review of state revenue was lead by Paul Kwiatkoski, Managing Director. The State revenue losses show the results may be much less severe than originally estimated.
The Executive Director of Hiawatha Academies in Minnesota submitted a proposal to consolidate the elementary program at the Northrop location and close Hiawatha Leadership Academies - Morris Park (HLA-Morris Park).
2020 was a year unlike any other due to the devastating impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, with no infrastructure asset being hit harder than demand-based transportation, according to Fitch on their 2021 US Transportation Outlook webinar.
S&P Global Public Finance launched the 2021 Credit Calendar with its Outlook for State and Local Governments. From a credit standpoint, state and local governments have navigated and led through significant challenges over time, and S&P expects this to continue.
Smith's Research & Gradings focuses on the people, sectors and news that matter the most to you. Smith's analysis is an indispensable part of Wall Street and the world's capital markets. Our approach was inspired by the need for a consistent analytical approach across all asset classes.
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Smith's Research & Gradings focuses on the people, sectors and news that matter the most to you. Smith's analysis is an indispensable part of Wall Street and the world's capital markets. Our approach was inspired by the need for a consistent analytical approach across all asset classes. Smith's Gradings are a time-tested, performance proven, and principles-based approach to risk. We go beyond the numbers to connect the dots for the world's decision makers. We can enhance the performance of investments in assets around the globe, while helping to ensure the safety of portfolios here at home.
Let a subscription to The Global Economic Doctor provide you with access to sovereign news, analysis and insights. Concise and powerful, the Global Economic Doctor spans the globe, giving you a read on how today’s market developments and key players are impacting your business around the planet.