$1.75 Billion Bond Sale Delayed for All Aboard Florida

High-yield funds have less money to spend these days, leaving large infrastructure projects like the All Aboard Florida high-speed rail project waiting at the station.

1 minute read

November 13, 2015, 2:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"The Florida Development Finance Corp. this week postponed a $1.75 billion unrated bond sale for All Aboard Florida, a passenger railroad backed by Fortress Investment Group LLC, that underwriters have been marketing since August," reports Brian Chappatta. The postponement comes a few months after the Florida Development Finance Corp. approved tax-exempt status for All Aboard Florida, paving the way for the bond to be sold.

Several developments, including a weakened economy in China and the threat of increased interest rates here in the United States, means "the flow of money into funds that invest in the riskiest munis has slowed to $1.2 billion this year, compared with $8.8 billion in 2014, Lipper US Fund Flows data show."

The article has a lot more specifics on the bond market as it applies to the All Aboard Florida example. It's also worth noting that the trends impacting the All Aboard Florida bonds are also impacting the bond financing needed for other infrastructure investments, like a Texas ethanol plant and funding for the Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015 in Bloomberg Business

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