[ by Howard Haykin ] The MSRB seeks approval for a proposed rule change that is intended to limit the use by municipal securities dealers of the designation "not reoffered" or "NRO" without also including price or yield information in written communications about new issues of securities.  As drafted, the rule change would improve the availability of current information about initial offering prices or yields of new issues of municipal securities. The "not reoffered" or "NRO" designation ... indicates that certain maturities of a new issue of municipal securities are not available to be reoffered to potential investors. MSRB Rule G-34, as it pertains to new issues and market information requirements in would be affected by the proposal to limit the use by dealers of the “not reoffered” or “NRO” designation in connection with a municipal bond offering unless the designation is also accompanied by the applicable price or yield information. This new requirement would apply to any written communication sent at or after the time a new issue of municipal securities is first awarded to the underwriters. Current Requirements. Underwriters currently are required to report initial offering price or yield information for all maturities, including maturities designated as NRO, to the MSRB’s Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) website, as well as to the New Issue Information Dissemination System (NIIDS) operated by the DTCC.  This information becomes readily available to market participants and the general public during or at the end of the first day of trading in the new issue. The proposed rule change would ensure that any information provided to the marketplace by dealers regarding new issues prior to such centralized public dissemination and through other market venues also includes the applicable price or yield information for securities designated as NRO.

"The proposed rule change will help provide timely and full price discovery for state and local governments interested in ensuring that their bonds are offered at competitive prices or yields, as well as for investors and other market participants seeking more  contemporaneous price information." -- Lynnette Kelly, MSRB Executive Director.

For further details, go to:  [MSRB News Release,6/28/12] and [MSRB Notice 12-35, 6/28/12] and [MSRB Rule Filing 12-06, 6/28/12].