Research & Gradings
Below you will find selected samples of Past and Current articles from our publications. To download or read the the full publication please Subscribe.
At press time, the US EPA issued two actions to protect public health from "Forever Chemicals" in the nation's drinking water. The topic is featured in the movie Dark Waters, a 2019 American legal thriller that dramatizes Robert Bilott's case against DuPont after they contaminated a town in West Virginia with unregulated chemicals (PFAS) in the production of Teflon. The EPA's announcement followed a timely MAGNY discussion on the roughly 50,000 U.S. public water systems and the challenges of funding and replacing the aging infrastructure.
The National Emergency has been extended according to a letter from President Joe Biden to The Congress of the United States.
American Dream bondholders went on real roller coaster ride that rivals the mall's Nickelodeon Universe Theme park.
Extreme winter weather hit 44 states and caused power outages for millions of Americans. Texas reported 10 deaths due to the cold temperatures. Smith's ESGradings has conducted decades of research on climate change. This year's events are due, in part, to La Nina.
We have reached the point where interest rates have become sufficiently low that the viability of issuing taxable municipal bonds to refund higher coupon tax-exempt bonds in an issuer’s capital structure has become an active strategy.
Kroll Bond Rating Agency's (KBRA)review of state revenue was lead by Paul Kwiatkoski, Managing Director. The State revenue losses show the results may be much less severe than originally estimated.
The ASCE's report card for Utah assigns a cumulative grade of 'C+' to Utah's infrastructure, maintaining the same grade as the previous report card in 2020. This grade is notable as Utah is one of only three states to achieve a 'C+', the highest grade ASCE has ever assigned to a state's infrastructure.
One of the cornerstones of the Trump administration is the revival of the manufacturing sector. This is to be accomplished through a combination of economic policy measures, promotion of returning manufacturing to the US or reshoring, and, when perceived necessary, bullying companies, often with the threat of tariffs as well as a steady stream of presidential badgering on social media.
At the May 8th Federal Reserve FOMC meeting interest rates were left at 4.25%-4.50%. This was the third consecutive time the US central bank has held rates steady.
Smith’s Research & Gradings supports President Trump’s new approach to federal disaster response in Los Angeles and North Carolina. “The National Infrastructure Advisory Council’s (NIAC) draft report presented last December, recommends exploring the use of Federal Block Grants to States for emergency assistance. The sovereignty of States needs to be the focus during local emergency, which the President has so forcefully inculcated,” according to Terence Smith, founder of Smith’s Research & Gradings.
Trump’s economic policies are a major gamble and will set the tone of global markets, both trade and financial. If nothing else, 2025 will be a year of disruptive change and market volatility and tariffs will play a major role on the global economic stage – for better or for worse.
State budgets are in a sound position entering fiscal 2025, according to Fitch Ratings.
Smith's Research & Gradings focuses on the people, sectors and news that matter the most to you. Smith's analysis is an indispensable part of Wall Street and the world's capital markets. Our approach was inspired by the need for a consistent analytical approach across all asset classes.
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Smith's Research & Gradings focuses on the people, sectors and news that matter the most to you. Smith's analysis is an indispensable part of Wall Street and the world's capital markets. Our approach was inspired by the need for a consistent analytical approach across all asset classes. Smith's Gradings are a time-tested, performance proven, and principles-based approach to risk. We go beyond the numbers to connect the dots for the world's decision makers. We can enhance the performance of investments in assets around the globe, while helping to ensure the safety of portfolios here at home.
Let a subscription to The Global Economic Doctor provide you with access to sovereign news, analysis and insights. Concise and powerful, the Global Economic Doctor spans the globe, giving you a read on how today’s market developments and key players are impacting your business around the planet.