The municipal market remained relatively stable in August, as weekly 30-day volatility of 10-year AAA GOs increased modestly from 0.27 to 0.42 over the month. Municipal supply in August remained high with monthly issuance of $41.4 billion, a 5% increase from August 2019. YTD municipal bond issuance has increased 21% from 2019 levels. Long-term interest… Read More >
News & Insights
Municipal Market Update – July 2020
July marked the fourth full-month of the COVID-19 global pandemic, which continues to disrupt the municipal market. The one-year tax-exempt AAA rates decreased back to its all-time low in May 2020 and interest rates are not expected to increase in the near term. At its July meeting, the FOMC stated that the Fed intends to… Read More >
The Bank Shot – July 2020
In This Issue In “YTD 2020 Bank Valuations” we review YTD Regional and Community Bank deal valuations. In “YTD 2020 Bank M&A Scorecard” we review YTD Community Bank M&A transactions. In “M&A Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic” we discuss our thoughts on appropriate M&A strategies given the impact of COVID on the economy. In “Porter… Read More >
PW&Co Advises Birmingham Airport Authority on $102,130,000 Refunding
Porter White & Company (“PW&Co”), a Birmingham-based municipal advisor, is pleased to announce that it served as the municipal advisor to the Birmingham Airport Authority (the “Authority”) on the issuance of $102,130,000 Airport Revenue Bonds, Series 2020, dated July 9, 2020. PW&Co served as the initial financial advisor to the Authority in connection with its… Read More >
Reflections on Markets During the Pandemic – 2Q 2020
While following events closely during the second quarter of 2020 when our society shut down for almost a month and then started reopening, a few important investment themes emerged. I. S&P 500 Recovered but Rates Stayed Low. While the equity markets substantially recovered during the second quarter, and the S&P briefly traded in positive territory… Read More >
Municipal Market Update – June 2020
The municipal market calmed down in June after months of volatility. The one-year tax-exempt AAA rate increased slightly to 0.25% from its all-time low in May 2020. Municipal supply picked up in June with issuance of $45.8 billion, a 25% increase from June 2019. The increased supply is likely a result of continued low interest… Read More >
Merger of BankFirst Capital Corporation and Traders & Farmers Bancshares Completed
On July 1, 2020 BankFirst Capital Corporation of Macon, MS and Traders & Farmers Bancshares, Inc. of Haleyville, AL announced the closing of their merger which combines two well-respected banking franchises and creates a $1.8 billion institution operating across Alabama and Mississippi. The deal consideration is a mix of cash and common stock from BankFirst…. Read More >
What’s It Worth, Spring 2020
During the first quarter of 2020, buyers and sellers experienced at least two strong months of deal volume before COVID-19 dramatically slowed down M&A activity in March. Investors’ views of certain industries and sectors have changed significantly since January, and they will continue to change and develop until we have a better understanding of the… Read More >
The SECURE Act
The SECURE Act of 2019 (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement) is a wide-ranging act, spanning nearly 40 provisions It is the most comprehensive retirement savings package to become law since the Pension Protection Act of 2006, and seeks to improve access to employer sponsored retirement savings plans, increase savings levels within plans, streamline… Read More >
PW&Co Advises on Acquisition of a Real Estate Agency
PW&Co served as the buy-side advisor in the acquisition of a real estate agency (“the Target”) by a credit union service organization (“CUSO”). PW&Co’s investment banking team was led by Michael Stone with support from Kip Porter. The CUSO was interested in acquiring the Target to expand its real estate related business lines and provide… Read More >
Considering Employer Match Suspension
As businesses reopen and employees return to work, employers are wrestling with how to handle cash flow in unprecedented circumstances. If you are considering suspending the employer match in your company’s retirement plan, you are not alone. Can you suspend a match? Yes. But that decision should not be made lightly. The Plan Sponsor Council… Read More >
Municipal Market Update – May 2020
The one-year tax-exempt AAA rates hit an all-time low in May, declining from a peak of 2.51% in March to as low as 0.11% in May. The 30-year tax-exempt AAA rates declined approximately 50 basis points in May; however, credit spreads widened for many issuers, particularly those impacted directly by COVID-19. The uncertainty and volatility… Read More >
M&A Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Overview Porter White & Company (“PW&Co”) reviewed almost 4,000 community bank M&A transactions since 2001 to ascertain the impact, by county, of county economic standing (as measured by GDP) on deal activity and transaction pricing. We believe this analysis may be useful as Alabama banks work through the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A… Read More >
COVID-19 Impact on Valuation – When was it known or knowable?
During the past few weeks, business owners have been thrust into a new normal and forced to evaluate the potential short-term and long-term implications of COVID-19 on their businesses, employees, and families. One word that I have heard in almost every conversation with business owners and investors over the past month is “uncertainty”. In the… Read More >
Municipal Market Update – April 2020
The municipal market remained especially volatile during April from significant uncertainty regarding COVID-19. Treasury rates have continued to stay almost 2% lower than this time last year throughout the yield curve. As of April 30th, the futures market does not expect a rate increase during 2020 with at least a 96.5% probability of rates remaining… Read More >
Municipal Market Update – March 2020
On March 3, 2020 the Fed cut the overnight target rate by 0.50%. Uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 continues to create strong demand for safer treasury securities, driving down treasury rates throughout March; however, municipal bond yields (measured by AAA General Obligation Bonds) increased significantly during the month, particularly in relation to a decline in treasury rates…. Read More >
Municipal Market Update – February 2020
Uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 virus (Coronavirus) mounted the end of February, causing investors to flee from equities into safer treasury securities and driving down rates. On March 3, 2020 the Fed cut the overnight target rate by 0.50%. Following this announcement, the futures market is still predicting three more cuts by this time next year…. Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q3 2019
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. Our Birmingham Area Economic Report places the Birmingham area economy in a state, regional and national context. Click here to download the full report with a more in-depth look at the statistics. The charts below show a snapshot of… Read More >
