Analysis of Revenue Bonds
Chapters in this video
- 0:00 Carla's toll bridge: revenue bond vs general obligation risk
- 1:00 Feasibility studies and revenue source quality
- 2:07 Protective covenants: rate, maintenance, and non-competition
- 2:50 Additional bonds test: before or after parity issuance
- 3:44 Gross revenue pledge: bondholders paid first
- 4:06 Net revenue pledge: O&M paid before debt service
- 5:02 Debt service coverage ratios: 1.25x utilities vs 2.0x standard
- 6:23 EMMA, continuing disclosure, and credit enhancements
- 7:21 Bond insurance: whose credit risk the investor holds
- 7:49 Rapid-fire exam recap
What this video covers
- Why revenue bonds require a feasibility study by an independent consulting engineer, and what makes the study favorable enough to support a strong credit rating
- How essentiality and exclusivity determine revenue quality, and why water or sewer bonds have more predictable cash flows than toll roads or convention centers
- The difference between parity bonds and subordinate lien bonds, and why the additional bonds test must be satisfied before new parity bonds can be issued
- The order of payment under a gross revenue pledge versus a net revenue pledge, and which party gets paid first in each structure
- Why utility revenue bonds typically carry a 1.25x debt service coverage ratio covenant when most other revenue bonds require 2.0x, and what that tells you about demand stability
- Where to find continuing disclosure data, official statements, and daily market prices using EMMA, credit rating agencies, and the Bond Buyer
- How bond insurance, letters of credit, and escrowed pre-refundings shift credit risk away from the issuer, and whose credit rating the investor actually holds
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