Bonds

Assured Guaranty Gains Despite Ratings Cut 

Assured Guaranty [stock AGO][/stock] posted $85.5m in first-quarter earnings, compared with the $169.2m loss in the year-ago quarter. A $66.9m improvement in pre-tax underwriting results and a significant improvement in after-tax unrealized losses on credit derivatives drove the year-over-year disparity, company officials said in the earnings statement.