Over 1,200 Respondents Identify Challenges, Priorities Facing Public Entities

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hilltop Securities Inc. (HilltopSecurities) has released the results of its 2024 Public Entity Survey, highlighting the key priorities and challenges facing municipalities, school districts, and other public entities across the United States. The complete survey results are available here.

"As a leading municipal investment bank and wealth advisory firm with more than 78 years of history in public finance, HilltopSecurities is deeply invested in assisting public entities address the challenges and opportunities that directly affect their communities," said HilltopSecurities President and CEO Brad Winges. "Our public entity survey provides important insights for the issuers, investors, and other market participants who play an important role in this vital sector of our economy. We are excited for the opportunity to expand this annual survey in future years."

The survey was conducted from May to August of this year with responses submitted by more than 1,200 public sector employees and municipal market participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The survey responses provided insights on a range of topics including:

• Challenges facing public entities
• Top priorities for debt issuance
• Impact of remote work
• Labor and staffing
• Importance of the municipal bond tax-exemption

Of those taking the survey, employees of cities, counties, and school districts accounted for 75% of the responses. The majority of the remaining responses were from special district, state, and utility employees. Labor and staffing, along with aging infrastructure, were the top two areas cited as the biggest challenges facing public entities.

"We were extremely pleased at the level of engagement and participation in this first annual Public Entity Survey that touches on the most important issues facing the public sector and the municipal markets," said HilltopSecurities Co-Head of Public Finance David Medanich.

Co-Head of Public Finance Mike Bartolotta added, "HilltopSecurities is uniquely positioned to gather and analyze information about the key priorities and challenges facing public entities across the nation. We look forward to providing more insight on these important topics in the future."

About Hilltop Securities Inc.

HilltopSecurities is a full-service municipal investment bank and wealth advisory firm providing a full suite of financial services for public entities, institutional investors, housing finance agencies, broker-dealers, and individual investors. Founded in 1946, its primary areas of focus include public finance, capital markets, structured finance, retail brokerage, clearing services, and securities lending. Hilltop Securities Inc.'s goal is to build long-term relationships to help communities, businesses, and individuals thrive. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTH), HilltopSecurities' affiliates include Momentum Independent Network, HilltopSecurities Asset Management, HilltopSecurities Insurance, PlainsCapital Bank, and PrimeLending. Learn more at HilltopSecurities.com. Member: NYSE/FINRA/SIPC.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and, except as required by law, we do not assume any duty to update forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning such things as our plans, objectives, strategies, expectations, intentions and other statements that are not statements of historical fact, and may be identified by words such as "believe," "continue," "expects," "expand," "focus," "may," "plan," "seeks," "will" or "would" or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases. See the risk factors described in Hilltop Holdings Inc.'s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Hilltop Holdings Inc.
Ben Brooks
214.252.4047
ben.brooks@hilltop.com