Municipal Bond Forum
ACA rating affirmed
Q
With the current illiquidity in the market for ACA insured bonds it seems to me that their ability to write new municipal bond business is going to be severely hampered. I would also assume that any new Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) business is dead. How can they survive under these conditions? Where are the revenues going to come from?
A
James A. Klotz responds:
ACA’s CDO exposure and general business mix have been reviewed by Standard & Poor’s and its rating has been affirmed. Market liquidity varies over time, and we’re now seeing a resurgence in paper insured by Radian Asset Assurance, a AA-rated insurer that has a similar niche to ACA. This may presage a similar rebound for ACA as well.
The capital markets are fickle and current conditions are challenging, no doubt. However, ACA has a sound business strategy and capital position in the eyes of S&P and there will always be infrequent issuers of municipal bonds whose size and specialized projects will be a good fit for ACA’s underwriting approach. While financial firms large and small have been reporting mixed results as of late, we anticipate that ACA will perform in a similar fashion as the rest of its peers.
Start here.
Do you have specific criteria for bonds you’re looking for? Let us know and we’ll e-mail you bonds that fit your needs. There is no charge for this service.
This report is produced solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any securities or related financial instruments. This report is based on information obtained from sources believed to be reliable but no independent verification has been made, nor is its accuracy or completeness guaranteed.