Wholesale prices rise fastest in one and a half years

Producer prices surged in February of this year, reports Reuters.

Cuts in tax reductions proposed by a number of Congressional committees may reduce the amount of money Americans give to non-profit healthcare organizations, warns the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy in a bold statement of the obvious.

Prestige Auto Receivables Trust 2011-1 $221.62 Million Notes Assigned Preliminary Ratings 15-Mar-2011
11:33 EST

Rating On South Davis Recreation District, UT’s 2004 Bonds Raised To ‘AA-‘ On Strong Financial And Population Trends 15-Mar-2011
11:23 EST

Six Ratings From Three CDOs Lowered; 14 Ratings Affirmed 15-Mar-2011
11:21 EST

Preliminary Ratings Assigned To Bank of Scotland’s U.K. RMBS Transaction Headingley RMBS 2011-1 15-Mar-2011
11:17 EST

Western Refining Inc.’s $325 Million Term Loan B Rated ‘B’ (Recovery Rating: 3) 15-Mar-2011
11:16 EST

Florida Housing Finance Corp. 2011 Bonds Rated ‘AA+’ 15-Mar-2011
11:00 EST

Grupo ACP Inversiones y Desarrollo Rated ‘BB-‘; Outlook Stable 15-Mar-2011
10:43 EST

Taylor, MI’s GO Debt Rating Lowered To ‘BBB’ Due To Weakened Finances 15-Mar-2011
10:39 EST

Esterline Technologies Corp. Rating Raised To ‘BB+’ From ‘BB’ On Improving Financials; Outlook Is Stable 15-Mar-2011
10:14 EST

Alberto-Culver Co. ‘BBB’ Rating Remains On CreditWatch Positive Pending Close Of Unilever Transaction 15-Mar-2011
09:54 EST

North Spencer County Elementary School Building Corp., IN’s Series 2011 Bonds ‘AA+’; Outlook Stable 15-Mar-2011
09:31 EST

Ratings Assigned In Dutch RMBS Transaction STORM 2011-II 15-Mar-2011
07:26 EST

BNP PARIBAS ZAO Upgraded To ‘BBB’ On Very Likely Group Support, “Core” Status; Outlook Stable; Affirmed At ‘A-3/ruAAA’ 15-Mar-2011
07:17 EST

Ratings Assigned In Dutch RMBS Transaction STORM 2011-I 15-Mar-2011
07:16 EST

S&P Resolves Counterparty Related CreditWatch Placement Of Asti Finance’s Class A Notes 15-Mar-2011
07:04 EST

Kazakh Agrarian Credit Corp. Proposed KZT3 Billion Bond Rated ‘BB/kzA+’ 15-Mar-2011
05:58 EST

In a posturing that may help shore up the stock of nuclear companies and relax the run in other energy related names, the Obama administration has come out in support of nuclear energy as having an important place in all future policies.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said nuclear power, “remains a part of the president’s overall energy plan. When he talks about reaching a clean energy standards it’s a vital part of that. And as we get more information from Japan and what happened there, that can be incorporated, but right now we remain committed to the clean energy standards and the other aspects of the president’s energy plan.”

Monday, energy names not related to nuclear power ran higher as traders prepared for the reactions of the public and public officials to the events unfolding on Japan.

Exactly how this catastrophe will effect Japan’s economy, or that of other global markets, remains unclear as cheap liquidity has begun to flood the system. Like everyone else, the credit rating agency seems to be playing things as they develop.

“No fiscal crisis is imminent in Japan after the earthquake. Debt markets are likely to fund government deficits at low cost, given Japan’s deep and liquid government debt market. However, a tipping point may be reached at some point if the market loses confidence in the soundness of government finances, and demands a risk premium on government bonds.”

They have been slightly more adventurous when discussing Japan’s largest and most decentralized organizations.

“While the situation in Japan remains uncertain and fluid following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, at this point we do not believe there will be rating implications for most large Japanese corporates and banks. Most entities are broadly diversified and therefore do not demonstrate material concentration risks to the most affected prefectures.”

Rumors that Pfizer Inc. would sell off underperforming assets, circulated by analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein, are causing the shares to rally today.

It’s one of the only stocks that is…

Qaddafi continued his press forward against the positions of rebel forces throughout the weekend, going into Monday, as warplanes bombed Tobruk, a strategic location for the opposition.

France and Britain hiked up pressure, meanwhile, for the implementation of a no-fly zone that rebels are desperately pleading for.

At the oil port of Brega, rebel forces which were recently dislodged from their fortifications have claimed that they snuck back and reclaimed the city by nightfall.

Qaddafi’s forces, despite a strong push back against the uprising, are stretched and dependent on continued airstrikes and artillery positions, or so claims from the uprising suggest.

As to which side is winning, both are claiming victory.

S&P Corrects Rating On One Maturity Of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, N.Y.’s 2003B Bonds To ‘A’ From ‘AAA’ 14-Mar-2011
10:40 EST

ADS Tactical Inc. Assigned ‘B+’ Corporate Credit Rating, $275 Million Notes Rated ‘B’; Outlook Is Stable 14-Mar-2011
10:37 EST

Class A1 Ratings Lowered To ‘D (sf)’ In EUROMAX IV MBS Cash Flow CDO Of Mezzanine ABS 14-Mar-2011
10:11 EST

Swiss Chemicals Company Clariant Affirmed At ‘BBB-/A-3’; Off Watch; Outlook Negative On Medium-Term Deleveraging Risks 14-Mar-2011
09:48 EST

Morgan Stanley ACES SPC Series 2006-8 Class A-10 ‘B- (sf)’ Rating Affirmed 14-Mar-2011
09:41 EST

Rating Lowered On Class A3 And Unchanged On Class A1 And A2 Of Irish RMBS Deal Fastnet Securities 6 After Restructure 14-Mar-2011
08:50 EST

Three Notes Issued By Abu Dhabi Special-Purpose Entity IPIC GMTN Ltd. Rated ‘AA’ 14-Mar-2011
03:59 EST

Ranhill Bhd. Rating Lowered To ‘B-‘ On Project Suspension In Libya, Refinancing Risk; Remains On CreditWatch Negative 13-Mar-2011
23:38 EST

S&P Corrects Rating On Helium Capital Ltd. Series 64 Transaction 13-Mar-2011
23:35 EST

Montrose County, CO’s COPs Rating Raised To ‘A’ On Strong Financial Operations 11-Mar-2011
19:40 EST

Riverside County Flood Control Water Conservancy District, CA Limited Obligation Improvement Debt Rating Raised To ‘A+’ 11-Mar-2011
18:12 EST

S&P Corrects By Reinstating ‘SP-1+’ Rating On Camden County Improvement Authority, NJ’s 2010A-2 Notes 11-Mar-2011
18:02 EST

Lincoln Intermediate Unit No. 12, PA GO Bond Rating Raised To ‘A’; Outlook Stable 11-Mar-2011
17:55 EST

Santander Consumer Acquired Receivables Trust 2011-S1 $526.580 Million Notes Assigned Preliminary Ratings 11-Mar-2011
17:50 EST

Credito Real ‘BB-’ Rating Affirmed; Outlook Stable 11-Mar-2011
17:40 EST

Palm Beach Garden, FL GO Debt Rating Raised To ‘AA+’, Revenue Bond Rating Raised To ‘AA’; Outlook Stable 11-Mar-2011
17:04 EST

Amgen Inc. WKSI Shelf Debt Securities Assigned Prelim ‘A+’ Rating, Preferred Stock Rated Prelim ‘A-’ 11-Mar-2011
17:02 EST

ICR Outlook Revised To Stable On Pelican Rapids Independent School District No. 548, ND’s GO Bonds 11-Mar-2011
17:01 EST

Saratoga Fire Protection District, CA’s General Obligation Bond Rating Raised To ‘AA’ On Economic Strength 11-Mar-2011
16:51 EST

Mooresville Public Library, IN’s General Obligation Bond Rating Raised To ‘AA-’ On Very Strong Cash Reserves 11-Mar-2011
16:47 EST

Sidera Network’s Refinanced Credit Facility Rated ‘B’ 11-Mar-2011
16:45 EST

Exeter Union High School District, CA’s General Obligation Bond Rating Raised To ‘A+’ On Strong Reserve Levels 11-Mar-2011
16:43 EST

Johnson & Johnson Shelf Assigned Preliminary ‘AAA’ Rating 11-Mar-2011
16:42 EST

Classic Finance B.V. Series 2009-1A Rating Affirmed And Removed From CreditWatch Negative 11-Mar-2011
16:42 EST

Jasper County Public Library, IN General Obligation Bond Rating Raised To ‘A+’ On Very Strong Cash Reserves 11-Mar-2011
16:32 EST

Whirlpool Corp. Assigned ‘A-3′ Short-Term, Commercial Paper Rating; ‘BBB-’ Long-Term Rating Affirmed 11-Mar-2011
16:30 EST

Williamstown, KY Utility Revenue Bond Rating Raised To ‘BBB+’; Outlook Stable 11-Mar-2011
16:28 EST

Entergy New Orleans’ Rating Raised To ‘BBB’ On Improved Business And Financial Risk Profiles; Outlook Stable 11-Mar-2011
16:27 EST

Outlook On Williams College, MA’s Various Bonds Revised To Negative Due To Continued Operating Deficits 11-Mar-2011
16:22 EST

Stephenson County, IL’s ICR Lowered To ‘BBB’ And Debt Certificates Ratings Lowered To ‘BBB-’ On Draw On Reserves 11-Mar-2011
16:09 EST

S&P Corrects Merrill Lynch Puttable FLOATs/RITES Trust’s Series PT-3272 Rating To ‘AA-’ 11-Mar-2011
16:05 EST

BAC Home Loans Servicing L.P. Reverse Mortgage Ranking Affirmed; Outlook Revised To Stable 11-Mar-2011
16:01 EST

Japan is still trying to get an estimate on the number of people missing, as entire towns seem to have been torn away. In the town of Minamisanriku, some 9,500 people are still unaccounted for. The death toll continues to rise. Meanwhile, over 10% of the country is without electricity.

Aftershocks continued into Saturday, with two more earthquakes registering at 6.1 and 6.4 magnitudes.

In an effort to continue the energy, pro-union protesters turned out again on Saturday. For how much longer they will continue now that the collective bargaining portion of the bill has been passed into law remains unclear.

Meanwhile, with Democratic Senators back in state, Republicans will likely push the spending portion of the bill they stripped out on Wednesday, getting everything they wanted since the conflict began.

General Abdel-Fattah Younis, formerly the country’s interior minister before he defected to the rebel side, announced Saturday that Qaddafi’s forces now control both the town and the oil refinery in Ras Lanouf.

However, the rebels are vowing to return as soon as possible.

Qaddafi’s forces further advanced Saturday, pushing back rebel forces and publicly displaying control of now devastated towns.

The Arab League, in a move that places renewed pressure on intervention from the West, has formally asked the U.N. Security Council to implement a no-fly zone over the country.

However, the rebel forces themselves seem to be planning on a lack of international support.

“If the international community chooses to play the role of bystander, watching all the Libyan people being killed and cities destroyed, then we will have to defend ourselves,” Adbel-Hafidh Ghoga announced, speaking on behalf of the rebel forces.

Any decisive action that will be taken in Libya, at this time, remains in question. An end to the conflict also remains out of sight.

In a move to further slash spending and contain the deficit, House Republicans are considering bills to end distressed housing relief programs, reports FoxNews.

Thursday, the Republican controlled house voted to terminate the Federal Housing Administration’s Refinance Program; which since its inception under the TAR Program, has used just $50 million of its $8 billion budget.

The House is set on voting to end the Emergency Homeowners’ Relief Program today. The $46 billion HAMP and $7 billion NSP are also in the crosshairs.

All of these measures are expected to die in the Senate, or the White House should they go that far.