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Many Ambac-insured bonds are investment-grade quality

Q

It’s my understanding that any bond that was insured by Ambac without a rating is considered speculative, especially for possible resale, with little or no market. Is that correct?

D.W., California

A

James A. Klotz responds:

This is not necessarily the case. As we have said, many Ambac insured bonds are of investment grade quality but are nonrated because the issuer never applied for a rating.

On FMSbonds’ offerings, all nonrated securities carry the speculative legend automatically. Each bond, however, needs to be analyzed individually.

Our chief analyst, Dr. Jay Abrams, elaborates on this topic in his recent article titled “The Muni Market: Where We Really Are Now.

Although brokers may currently be a bit gun shy, eventually these bonds will trade based on their underlying quality.

Ambac, for the most part, insured municipal bonds with investment grade characteristics.

Aug 11, 2009

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    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.