Standard&Poor's Ratings Services assigned its 'AAA' long-term rating to Albuquerque, N.M.'s series 2016 gross receipts tax (GRT) and lodger's tax improvement and revenue bonds. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'AAA' rating on the city's outstanding GRT debt. The outlook is stable. The ratings reflect our view of the city's: Very strong, 8.7X maximum annual debt service (MADS) coverage by pledged state-shared GRT revenue alone; Strong, 131% of the national level retail sales per capita, reflecting the city's role as the economic center for the region, with strong links to the government, defense-related research, health care, and high-technology sectors; Stable growth in GRT collections since fiscal year 2010; Strong, 2.25x additional bonds test (ABT) and
