Chicago Schools Pay Bigger Bond-Market Penalty Than Puerto Rico
- It took unprecedented discount to overcome downgrades to junk
- Buyers `want to minimize the pain if it stops paying interest'
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If municipal-debt investors want further evidence that Chicago’s schools are in financial distress, its $725 million bond deal this week is all the proof they need.
After delaying the sale when some investors balked, the district issued 7 percent debt for as little as 84 cents on the dollar, signaling that investors have doubts they’ll be repaid in full. No municipal borrower -- not even cash-strapped Puerto Rico -- has had to offer such a steep discount on a bond deal of that magnitude since at least the 2008 financial crisis, data compiled by Bloomberg show.