[Virtual Event] An ISD's Framework for Finding Success with Bond Sales, Elections, and More with Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, FWISD, and David Webb, Stifel

Following the disruptions our education system faced during the pandemic, bond proposals for school districts have drastically increased more than local governments, surpassing cities, counties, and utility districts. In Texas, recent bond elections may have set a new record for the total amount of debt on the ballot. School districts continue to rely on these financings. But macro conditions have introduced new volatility that can make school bond sales more difficult to execute efficiently.

Listen to this session to hear Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria, CFO at Fort Worth Independent School District & David Webb, Public Finance Director at Stifel, walk issuers through bond marketing strategies, particularly for ISDs. We’ll also share insights about setting your bond election up for success within your communities.

[Virtual Event] How to Issue Bonds in Volatile Markets with Colin MacNaught & Tom Paolicelli, BondLink

The muni bond market has quickly gone from a seller’s market to a buyer’s. Massive outflows from mutual funds, inflation expectations, anticipated Fed rate increases, and now the war in Ukraine have led to significant volatility. Interest rates moving sharply higher and lower has made price discovery difficult for issuers.

Listen to this session to hear BondLink’s veteran muni issuers, Colin MacNaught and Tom Paolicelli, walk issuers through the do’s and don'ts outlined by bond investors today. We shared the most effective strategies for issuers to navigate these turbulent conditions and generate as much investor awareness as possible.

[2022 Investor Webinar Series] Your Guide to Engaging With Investors in 2022 with Jamie Richardson, Fidelity Investments

A lot is up in the air for 2022, but you can be sure of one thing - institutional investors will continue to independently evaluate credit and make purchasing decisions based on the strength of information issuers provide both before and after the sale.

Watch this session to hear from Jamie Richardson, now Managing Director of Research for Municipals at Fidelity.

He pulled from his years of experience at Fidelity and drew from his unique background working at the State of New Hampshire to guide you through the year to come.

This was a great session for anyone who’s looking to issue debt in 2022. Come get your bearings, understand how to prioritize their time better leading up to a bond sale, and gain insight into the growing importance of ongoing transparency.

[Virtual Event] Boosting Your ESG & Green Bond Programs to Investors with Franklin Templeton Investments, Morgan Stanley, and SFPUC

One of the major – and growing – themes for municipal bond investors is their shift toward evaluating issuers through an environmental, social, and governance (or ESG) lens.

This session includes an active Green Bond issuer, a portfolio manager of the bond market’s first dedicated Green Bond fund, and a leading investment banker for sustainable infrastructure financings.

Our panelists explained how issuers can gain an edge with investors by being transparent about ESG credit factors and green bond reporting, plus how borrowers can do so more effectively with their current resources.

We also reviewed a brand new BondLink feature that will support issuers highlighting their ESG credit factors, whether for more traditional bond offerings, specific Green, Social, or Sustainability financings, or simply ongoing reporting.

[2021 Investor Webinar Series] An Analyst's Approach to Munis & Corporates with Putnam Investments

Taxabale offerings attract a wide variety of interest that spans traditional muni holders, corporate buyers, and international investors.

Hal detailed his unique experiences working with municipal and corporate issuers on both taxable and tax-exempt offerings during this webinar. Issuers who understand the similarities between these markets and recognize what researchers expect from both types of sellers can gain a meaningful advantage with the buy-side.

This corporate perspective could be particularly critical if the Build America Bond program is re-authorized by the federal government. It's also valuable for issuers who seek to make inroads with international buyers when issuing Green Bonds or with investors who focus on ESG factors in their evaluations.

[2021 Investor Webinar Series] Get More Buy-In From the Buy-Side with Charles Schwab

A lot happens between the time a bond sale hits the new issue calendar and an investor actually places an order. Regardless of market conditions, fund inflows, or other prevailing factors, municipal analysts are constantly re-evaluating new offerings to make sure they fit their investment criteria.

Mary Colby and Tammy Eng, two leaders from Charles Schwab, detailed all the ‘little things’ municipal issuers can do to stand out and get a definitive “yes” from buy-side decision makers. They even offered real examples of what has helped or hurt deals they’ve researched lately so issuers have a clear view of how internal rating systems are functioning today.

[BondLink & Nixon Peabody Present...] Disclosure Checklist & Final Takeaways

The first three sessions in our event with Nixon Peabody focused on areas of disclosure that are evolving rapidly. For the final session, we recapped considerations for the use of social media to connect with the market, ESG disclosures, and emergency event disclosures and offered a comprehensive checklist so that you and your financing team are as prepared as possible going forward.

[BondLink & Nixon Peabody Present...] COVID-19 Disclosures: What We’ve Learned & Lessons for Going Forward

[BondLink & Nixon Peabody Present...] Issuer Disclosure Requirements for Selling ESG, Sustainable Bonds

Sustainable financing is accelerating across the municipal market as more and more issuers are selling Green or Sustainable Bonds to meet the growing demand from ESG-focused investors. At the same time, bond investors and regulators are seeking common standards and reporting requirements relating to the statements made by issuer offering documents. In this session, we outlined the investing and regulatory trends tied to ESG financings. We also discussed any disclosure considerations when issuers dedicate bond proceeds for these needs.

[BondLink & Nixon Peabody Present...] Social Media and Other Digital Channels to Connect With Investors

“Marketing your bond sale” and communicating with investors digitally have both been prominent subjects recently. Whether you're reaching out to retail investors, new taxable or international buyers, or existing traditional institutional investors, there are a lot of simple steps issuers can take to improve their digital presence and attract more investor interest to their financings. When it comes to disclosure requirements, what are the best practices to incorporate into your program?

[2021 Investor Webinar Series] What the Rise of SMAs Means for Today's Municipal Issuers with Evercore Wealth Management

[2021 Investor Webinar Series] The Growing Importance of the SMA Investor with Appleton Partners

Separately managed accounts, or SMAs, have steadily become more important to #muniland issuers as their assets under management have ballooned. In fact, over one third of outstanding muni bonds are now held in SMAs or mutual funds. Given the rise of SMAs over the past decade, issuers & their finance teams will benefit from having a granular understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges the “professional retail” buyer now presents for future bond sales.

[2020 Virtual IR Leadership Conference] BondLink's Partnership Network: New Tools for 2021 with ICE Data Services, IHS Markit, and Municipal Market Analytics, Inc.

The pace of new technology investments in the muni bond market have accelerated over the last two years. Everyone has a platform, and being interconnected to as many facets of the market has never been so important for issuers.

At BondLink, we recognize that significance for our issuer clients and have created a high-value partnership network. Check out this recording to hear what we’re building today and what opportunities the new tools and integrations mean for your bond programs.

[2020 Virtual IR Leadership Conference] Leveraging the Finance Team to Drive Investor Demand: MA’s & Bankers with Swap Financial Group, Citi, and JPMorgan

COVID-19 is forcing traditional #muniland bond investors to double-down on their issuer credit research ahead of bond sales. Meanwhile, new taxable buyers helped drive demand in 2020 and their influence is expected to grow. These factors make investor transparency and outreach more important than ever.

The most successful issuers are leveraging the deep knowledge and market-reach of key members of their external finance team, namely their Municipal Advisors and Bankers. This is a rare opportunity to hear from a collection of leaders in those fields about their ideas for high-impact investor engagement.

[2020 Virtual IR Leadership Conference] Top Ten List: Tips & Ideas from a Portfolio Manager with AllianceBernstein

Guy Davidson has led AllianceBernstein’s municipal investment efforts for the last twenty five years. Over that time, he has seen all kinds of markets, all kinds of bonds, and has been part of the digital and data evolution in #muniland. For this session, Guy downloaded his experience, outlined what opportunities are available to issuers, and offered his perspective on the most effective approaches.

[2020 Virtual IR Leadership Conference] Advanced Corporate IR Strategies with Ford Motor Company, BNY Melon, and Allegiant Air

Corporate CFOs have been investing in IR for decades, benefitting from knowing their investors and developing long-term relationships. This field of IR is far more established than what’s currently practiced in #muniland, and issuers of all sizes could benefit from some of the best practices undertaken by corporate finance professionals. This panel of corporate IR leaders highlighted the countless opportunities that stronger investor engagement presents.

[2020 Virtual IR Leadership Conference] New Taxable Buyers: How to Engage for Long-Term Value with MacKay Shields

One of the biggest factors that has contributed to a stronger muni market after COVID-19’s initial disruption has been the incredible increase in participation of new, taxable bond buyers. This trend began in 2019 and accelerated significantly into 2020. Issuers tapped taxable capital, including real international investors, often to refinance outstanding tax-exempt bonds. Many market participants think this new pool of demand will only grow in 2021.

MacKay Shields is one of the largest investors in the municipal market, including on the taxable side. John Loffredo, who co-heads the firm’s muni investment strategy and portfolio management, believes there are major opportunities for issuers who proactively engage these investors.