By Gayl Mileszko
Market Commentary
Fort Myers Here We Come!
The HJ Sims team is gearing up for our 23rd annual Late Winter Conference taking place in Fort Myers, Florida next week. We can’t wait to welcome our senior living and charter school colleagues to the City of Palms where we have scheduled recreational activities on the golf course, on the pickleball court, in a chef’s kitchen, and in one of America’s favorite wildlife refuges.
Record Number of HJS Late Winter Conference Attendees
This year, we have one of our best two-day agendas ever. An all-time record number of registrants obviously agree. It is our biggest event in a generation, and we are excited to welcome hundreds of market leaders and key service providers from across the country to southwest Florida.
Keynote Speakers
Our keynote speakers next Wednesday and Thursday will address real-world tips for artificial intelligence adoption, provide the latest construction market intelligence reporting from the ground, and share insight on the many technical and fundamental factors impacting the primary and secondary municipal bond markets. HJ Sims bankers will review lessons learned from last year’s exceptional market experience and highlight some of our 2026 deals in progress.
Senior Living Panels
Upcoming senior living panel sessions feature market professionals who will share their insights on repositioning strategies. In real-time exchanges, the audience will hear how for-profit as well as non-profit operators strengthen financial performance, identify new models of community care and community design, and suggest ways to act upon new opportunities as they arise.
Charter School Sessions
For our charter school partners, there are informative sessions with successful founders and operators who have demonstrated how best to strengthen governance, improve financial management practices, bolster academic performance, and better handle changing regulatory, rate, funding, and competition pressures.
Investor Q&A
We have some of the top non-profit and for-profit buyers and property brokers in the market to answer your questions about how you can rise to the top of the stack of offerings and potential investment opportunities being seen by major buyers. And, as always, we look forward to helping our colleagues take advantage of the unlimited networking opportunities on site in a gorgeous venue where we gather to share what we know about the AI landscape, best practices, and emerging trends. Our goal is to leave our guests connected and inspired with new blueprints for future growth.
Sunrise of Tarrytown in the Market
This week, HJ Sims is in the market with our $100.25 million financing for Sunrise of Tarrytown, a new rental community featuring 56 assisted living and 31 memory care units. The non-rated transaction is structured with four term bonds issued through the Westchester County Local Development Corporation in New York. Bonds are being offered to qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors. Among other deals on the $8.4 billion municipal calendar, the Public Finance Authority plans a $10.6 million non-rated sale for Millville Public Charter School in New Jersey. The Sierra Vista Industrial Development Authority has a $16 million non-rated issue for Desert Star Academy in Fort Mohave, Arizona. And the Arlington Higher Education Finance Corporation is offering $34.1 million non-rated bonds for Logos Preparatory Academy in Sugar Land, Texas.
Municipal Bond Sales Last Week
Last week, the Build NYC Resource Corporation sold $167.6 million of BB rated bonds for Zeta Charter Schools; the deal included a 40-year maturity priced with a 5.75% coupon to yield 5.91%. The Iowa Finance Authority brought an $8.6 million BBB+ rated financing for Des Moines Christian Schools structured with a 2061 final maturity that priced at 5.375% to yield 5.55%. And the Miami Dade County Industrial Development Authority issued $241.2 million of BB+ rated bonds for the PRG Casa Properties student housing project at Florida International University; the 2065 maturity priced with a coupon of 5.375% to yield 5.45%.
Market Movers This Week
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security ran out last Friday at midnight, the U.S. appears to be preparing to strike Iran as tensions mount during nuclear talks, oil prices are rising, and gold is over $5,000 again — but markets are mostly jittery this week on new concerns about disruptions from AI. It is a busy week for data: the economic calendar includes releases on personal consumption expenditures, durable goods, housing starts, pending home sales, building permits, trade balances, wholesale and retail inventories, GDP, and the minutes from the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting. There are nine Treasury auctions and 10 Fed speakers out on the circuit. At this writing, the 2-year Treasury yields 3.47%, the 10-year yield stands at 4.10% and the 30-year at 4.72%. The 2-year AAA muni general obligation bond benchmark yield stands at 2.06%, the 10-year yield is at 2.52% and the 30-year at 4.23%.
We will be back in this space in two weeks with highlights from our Late Winter Conference. Until then, please reach out to your HJ Sims representative for more information and event updates.