March 30 Afternoon S&P Ratings Actions

Idaho Issuer Credit Rating Raised To ‘AA+’ On Budget Practices And Effective Liability Management 30-Mar-2011
14:01 EST

Primus Telecommunications Inc. Senior Secured Notes ‘B’ Rating Remains On CreditWatch Negative 30-Mar-2011
13:55 EST

Sierra Timeshare 2011-1 Receivables Funding LLC $400 Million Notes Assigned Ratings 30-Mar-2011
13:55 EST

Volkswagen Auto Loan Enhanced Trust 2011-1 $1.5 Billion Notes Assigned Ratings 30-Mar-2011
13:49 EST

S&P Corrects Outlook To Negative On Sun Devil Energy Center, AZ’s Bonds 30-Mar-2011
13:45 EST

Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. ‘B’ Rating Affirmed; Senior Secured Debt Rated ‘B’ 30-Mar-2011
13:40 EST

Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority Assigned ‘B+’ Issuer Credit Rating; Senior Secured Credit Facility Also Rated ‘B+’ 30-Mar-2011
13:19 EST

Rating On Hillsborough County, FL’s 2006A Revenue Bonds Raised To ‘A+’ From ‘A’ On Strong Debt Service Coverage 30-Mar-2011
13:00 EST

Los Olivos Elementary School District, CA’s GO Bonds Rating Raised To ‘A+’ On Strong Financial Position 30-Mar-2011
12:58 EST

Oakland, CA Bond Rating Outlook Revised To Stable On Healthy Reserves Despite Revenue Declines 30-Mar-2011
12:56 EST

Huntington University, IN Series 2007 Bond Rating Raised To ‘AA/A-1+’ On Credit Facility Substitution 30-Mar-2011
12:52 EST

Rating Assigned To BBVA’s Credit-Linked Notes In CID Finance (Series 51) 30-Mar-2011
12:52 EST

Middletown Township, NJ GO Debt Rating Withdrawn Due To A Lack Of Adequate Timely Information 30-Mar-2011
12:44 EST

S&P Corrects Rating On Navy Southeast Family Housing’s Series 2007 Class I Bonds 30-Mar-2011
12:21 EST

Portuguese City of Cascais Downgraded To ‘BBB-‘ Following Portugal Downgrade; Outlook Negative 30-Mar-2011
11:59 EST

Cellular One Assigned Preliminary ‘B’ Corporate Credit Rating; Senior Secured Credit Facility Rated ‘B’ (Prelim) 30-Mar-2011
11:43 EST

70 U.S. CDO Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Positive; 14 U.S. CDO Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Negative 30-Mar-2011
11:37 EST

S&P Corrects By Withdrawing Bond Rating On Milton Academy, MA 30-Mar-2011
11:24 EST

Analog Devices Inc. Senior Unsecured Notes Assigned ‘A-‘ Rating 30-Mar-2011
11:23 EST

CITGO Petroleum Corp. Outlook Revised To Stable From Negative; Ratings Affirmed 30-Mar-2011
11:19 EST

Massachusetts Special Gas Tax Bonds Rating Raised To ‘AAA’ On Strong Debt Coverage; Outlook Stable 30-Mar-2011
11:18 EST

S&P Corrects Outlook on Massachusetts Variable-Rate Demand General Obligation Bonds Series 1998A And 1998B 30-Mar-2011
10:52 EST

Universal American Corp. Subsidiaries Remain On CreditWatch Negative 30-Mar-2011
10:42 EST

Amerigroup Corp. Upgraded To ‘BB+’ On Improvement In Business And Financial Profiles; Outlook Stable 30-Mar-2011
10:37 EST

Yuba City, CA’s Series 2006 COPs Rating Raised To ‘A’ On Record Of Maintaining Strong Available General Fund Balances 30-Mar-2011
10:37 EST

Baldwin Park, CA’s Series 2004 Bonds Rating Raised To ‘A’ On Consistent Financial Performance 30-Mar-2011
10:31 EST

Down to a surveyed 41,521, from 50,702. Obviously, the usefulness of this data depends on the acuteness of the surveyed as well as the phrasing of the surveyor. But, in conjunction with the 200,000+ jobs estimated to have been added in March, it’s something.

Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. Rated ‘B+’; Outlook Stable 30-Mar-2011
10:01 EST

Rating On Highlands Borough Board Of Education, NJ’s Certificates Of Participation Is Withdrawn 30-Mar-2011
09:47 EST

Delta Air Lines Inc. Pass-Through Certificates Series 2011-1 Assigned Preliminary ‘A- (sf)’ Rating 30-Mar-2011
09:44 EST

North Texas Tollway Authority’s Series 2011A, B, And C Revenue Bonds Rated ‘AA’ 30-Mar-2011
09:40 EST

Nigeria-Based Access Bank PLC Placed On Watch Negative On Proposal To Combine Business With Intercontinental Bank PLC 30-Mar-2011
09:40 EST

Ratings On Republic Of Cyprus Lowered To ‘A-/A-2’ On Exposure To Greece; Outlook Remains Negative 30-Mar-2011
09:13 EST

Dickinson College, PA Issuer Credit And Bond Ratings Raised To ‘A+’ 30-Mar-2011
08:59 EST

Outlook On Germany-Based DVB Bank Revised To Stable On Improving Risk Profile; Ratings Affirmed At ‘A/A-1’ 30-Mar-2011
08:07 EST

Ashtead Subordinated ‘B+’ Issue, ‘5’ Recovery Ratings Affirmed, ABL Issue And Recovery Ratings Withdrawn On Refinancing 30-Mar-2011
07:29 EST

Manchester Airport Group Outlook Revised To Negative On Weakened Operating Performance; ‘A’ Long-Term Rating Affirmed 30-Mar-2011
06:25 EST

Nokia Long-Term Rating Lowered To ‘A-‘ On Likely Weaker Operating Margins; Short-Term ‘A-1’ Affirmed; Outlook Stable 30-Mar-2011
05:46 EST

Rating Affirmed In ABS Trade Receivables Deal EMILRO Collection Services Due To Stable Credit Performance 30-Mar-2011
05:39 EST

City of Novosibirsk Upgraded To ‘BB/ruAA’ On Prudent Debt Policies And Moderate Budgetary Performance; Outlook Stable 30-Mar-2011
05:33 EST

PT Davomas Abadi Tbk. ‘CCC+’ Rating Placed On Watch Positive Following Uniflora’s Proposed Acquisition Of The Company 30-Mar-2011
04:51 EST

Portugal Telecom ‘BBB/A-2’ Ratings Placed On CreditWatch Negative, Reflecting Exposure To Weak Portuguese Economy 30-Mar-2011
04:13 EST

S&P Corrects And Reinstates Ratings On SMBC Sydney Branch’s CD Program 30-Mar-2011
03:58 EST

German TARGO Lebensversicherung Outlook Now Positive On Potential Change In Group Status; ‘A’ Ratings Affirmed 30-Mar-2011
03:41 EST

Ratings On National Wealth Management Holdings, MLC, & MLC Lifetime Affirmed; Various Actions On Other Subsidiaries 30-Mar-2011
01:57 EST

Republic of Portugal Ratings Lowered To ‘BBB-/A-3’ On ESM Lending Conditions; Outlook Neg; Teleconf Today At 4.30PM BST 29-Mar-2011 09:32 EST

Shit.

That’s up from 12.1% in 2007. Maine, Vermont, Florida, Arizona, and Alaska were the worst markets in the country.

Spending rose .7%, while inflation was up .3%, in February.

Prestige Auto Receivables Trust 2011-1 $221.62 Million Notes Assigned Ratings 28-Mar-2011
10:34 EST

Home Depot Inc. Senior Unsecured Notes Assigned ‘BBB+’ Rating 28-Mar-2011
09:35 EST

Various Rating Actions Taken On Spanish RMBS Transactions Hipocat 7, 8, And 9 28-Mar-2011
09:18 EST

Rating Assigned To Spanish RMBS Transaction BBVA RMBS 6’s Class A Notes 28-Mar-2011
09:18 EST

S&P Resolves Three European Structured Finance Counterparty Criteria CreditWatch Placements (March 28, 2011 Review) 28-Mar-2011
08:25 EST

Rating Assigned To Compass Securitisation Program’s New ABCP Series; Existing Series Affirmed After Review 28-Mar-2011
07:38 EST

Portuguese City of Cascais Rating Lowered To ‘BBB’ Following Downgrade Of Portugal; Still On CreditWatch Negative 28-Mar-2011
06:37 EST

S&P Corrects Rating On Madrid Empresas I’s Class B Notes After Counterparty Criteria Update 28-Mar-2011
06:29 EST

S&P Corrects Error By Reinstating Its Rating On Bank of Scotland’s Series 32 U.K. Covered Bond 28-Mar-2011
06:29 EST

Ratings On Hana And KEB Affirmed; Hana Off CreditWatch Negative; KEB Placed On CreditWatch Positive 28-Mar-2011
06:20 EST

Poland’s Bank Millennium Capital Group Rating Lowered To ‘BBpi’ On Reduced Likelihood Of Support From Portuguese Parent 28-Mar-2011
05:44 EST

Rating Assigned To VCL Master Compartment 1’s German Auto ABS Series 2011-1 Issuance 28-Mar-2011
05:13 EST

Five Portuguese Banks And Related Subsidiaries Downgraded After Portugal Downgrade; Long-Term Ratings Still On Watch Neg 28-Mar-2011
04:53 EST

MSIG Mingtai Insurance Co. Ltd. Outlook Revised To Negative Following Rating Action On Parent; ‘A+’ Ratings Affirmed 28-Mar-2011
04:29 EST

Shinhan Bank’s Proposed Senior Unsecured U.S. Dollar-Denominated Bonds Rated ‘A-‘ 28-Mar-2011
04:03 EST

Outlook On GS Caltex Revised To Stable On Improving Financials; Ratings Affirmed 28-Mar-2011
02:35 EST

$.17 a share.

A rather large and diverse assortment of groups have come out opposed to the measure; from credit unions, the NAACP, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to Fed members who originally proposed the rule. Suddenly, everyone seems to be questioning the provision, and wondering what sort of unintended consequences it would have.

Their Parliament is expected to reject plans, paving the way for a possible collapse of the minority Socialist administration. Prime Minister Jose Socrates has threatened to resign if the measure is defeated.

In response to Tokyo developments, GM has been temporarily laying off employees.

If local governments fail to cut costs, they may face repercussions, warns Michigan’s governor.

Discussions range from regaining cost of living adjustments to – in the case of Ford – much stronger demands.

An FDA advisory committee claimed Friday that the availability of menthold cigarettes was causing a rise in the number of children and African American smokers.

Menthol cigarettes were not found to have a worse health impact that regular cigarettes. However, it was generally agreed that their “awesomeness” was stealing the souls of children and minorities.

The general concensus of health nuts was that cigarette companies should not be permitted to have a product that tastes good.

A district attorney has successfully convinced a judge to block Gov. Walker’s new labor law, on grounds that the legislative committee that enabled passage of the bill met without a 24 hour notice, a requirement by Wisconsin’s open meeting laws.

“I would hope the Republicans would take this as an opportunity to sit down with Democrats and negotiate a proposal we could all get behind,” said Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach.

Unlikely. It is far more probably that the Republicans will simply re-vote on the measure, as is. When you have a supermajority, there’s no reason to negotiate, especially after Republican offers to do so were already turned down.

Apparently saying you’ll stop bombarding a city and actually stopping the bombarding of a city are two separate things.

Libyan rebels claim that Qaddafi forces are still shelling them. However both sides have been playing thick with rhetoric and so what is actually occuring in the country is questionable.

This comes after the U.N. agreed to implement a no-fly zone over Libya earlier.

Libya’s foreign minister says the country will stop military operations.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Portugal’s political and financial crisis deepened Thursday, when the main opposition party said it won’t support the minority government’s latest measures aimed at avoiding a bailout for the debt-laden country.

Fourth Quarter Gross Margin Improves 600 Basis Points Year-over-Year to 9.0%
Full-Year Revenue Increases 13% over 2009 to $1.9 Billion with Continued Bottom Line Improvement