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.
Congratulations to the analysts elected to receive the great and important honor of belonging to Smith's All-Star Analysts Team in 2020. Even if awards and accolades are presented by presidents and kings, none will be more important than the 2020 All-Star Municipal Analyst Award.
On Thursday, November 19, Treasury Secretary Mnuchin sent a letter to Fed Chair Powell indicating that he would be allowing most of the Fed's 13(3) emergency lending facilities to expire at year-end, and requesting that the Fed "return unused funds to the Treasury" in order for Congress to "re-appropriate $455 billion, consisting of $429 billion in excess Treasury funds for the Federal Reserve facilities and $26 billion in unused Treasury direct loan funds."
If you want to get a feel for municipal transportation credit, watch REM's video "Can't Get There From Here" which was filmed at a drive-in movie theater in Georgia in 2010. It's available on YouTube and the video is, well, "poor quality."
The rollercoaster ride that is the U.S. economy is likely to continue through into the first half of 2021.
Targeted Infrastructure programs will be one of the featured revitalization tools used for stimulating growth in the US economy post the COVID-19 pandemic. Many observers have anticipated massive large-scale infrastructure programs, but that may not be viable at this time, given the financial capabilities of many state and local governments.
Economic development related to transportation in and around Washington, D.C. underscores the tremendous limitations and challenges facing the area.
This week’s big event is the Fed’s September 16th-17th FOMC meeting. We expect, like most analysts, to see a 25-bps rate cut. Finally! Labor market weakness is too significant to be ignored. We also expect that the Fed meeting will indicate two more cuts this year and leave the door open to more in 2026.
Inflation numbers rose by 0.4% month-o-month for August and 2.9% y-o-y, according to the latest CPI report.
Mr. Market will have plenty to consider during the upcoming week.
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 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.