looking back

The Shield – Looking Back, Looking Ahead

It is with great joy that our Blue Rose advisory team serves organizations across the country with the goal of improving their financial health.  In 2023, we had the opportunity to positively impact numerous higher education institutions, non-profits, and governmental entities advising on matters related to long-term capital planning, capital

Introduction to Services

An Introduction to Our Outstanding Additional Advisory Services

Whether applying our own expertise to tricky problems or assisting clients who are either temporarily or perpetually short-staffed, we provide a wide array of tailored services to a range of institutions. Beyond the aforementioned “standard services” you might expect from a municipal advisor, we are often deeply integrated into our

Shield update

The Shield – Third Quarter Market Update

The third quarter of 2023 has seen significant market movements and much uncertainty around the United States’ economic outlook for 2024 as the Federal Reserve attempts to steady inflation. Absolute yields as well as credit spreads have widened meaningfully across the credit spectrum. Additionally, a recent selloff has pared back

Final Libor Update

The Shield – Final LIBOR Transition Update

LIBOR cessation occurred as scheduled on June 30th of this year and most variable instruments that historically referenced LIBOR should now reference a different index. Depending on your last reset period, your debt instruments could still be utilizing a LIBOR rate for your current interest accrual period, however, with interest

The Shield - Rating Agency Update: New S&P Criteria and FY2022 Medians

The Shield – Rating Agency Update: New S&P Criteria and FY2022 Medians

As we’ve passed the mid-year point in 2023, rating agencies have published higher education sector updates and median data for fiscal year 2022. Their commentary along with the supporting data identifies trends observed across both public and private higher education. Additionally, S&P global ratings recently updated its higher ed rating

2023 First Quarter Market Update

The Shield: 2023 First Quarter Market Update

After a whirlwind 2022, many had hoped for calmer markets in the first quarter of 2023. While the overall performance of the market was positive, the first few months of the new year were anything but calm. We saw stubborn inflation, substantial interest rate movement, and the first significant banking

The Shield: March 2023 LIBOR Update

The Shield: March 2023 LIBOR Update

LIBOR cessation is now just three months away (June 30, 2023), and most of the transition process appears to be going to plan. SOFR continues to be the primary index utilized for the transition of variable rate loans, especially in cases where a synthetic fixed rate structure exists. Some potential

The Shield - ESG-Labeled Bonds: Can They Deliver “Greenium?”

The Shield – ESG-Labeled Bonds: Can They Deliver “Greenium?”

With the tremendous buzz around the political, social, and economic factors at play around ESG (“Environmental, Social, and Governance”) bonds and their evolving status, it can be daunting for muni bond issuers that may want to enter this niche of the capital markets. The municipal bond market is, in fact,

The Shield - 2022 Municipal Market in Review

The Shield – 2022 Municipal Market in Review

The municipal market landscape in 2022 was a meaningful departure from what we experienced in 2021 and 2020, which were banner years for issuance of municipal debt. Municipal market issuance declined again from 2021 as rising interest rates and volatility were constant themes throughout much of the year. Taxable issuances