Puerto Rico's Looming Bankruptcy Exit Set to Soothe Island's Turbulent Muni Debt

  • G.O. bond trades at 90 cents after falling to 21 cents in 2017
  • Judge may rule as soon as this month on Puerto Rico debt plan

Pedestrians walk through the Old San Juan.

Photographer: Xavier Garcia/Bloomberg
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Puerto Rico’s anticipated exit from bankruptcy is pushing up prices on one of the most actively-traded securities in the $4 trillion municipal-bond market -- a commonwealth 8% coupon general obligation bond -- with the momentum poised to continue after a debt restructuring.

The commonwealth is inching closer to resolving its more than four-year bankruptcy, which will slash $22 billion of bonds down to $7.4 billion through a debt exchange and enable the commonwealth to begin repaying bondholders again as soon as this year.