Global Corporate Bond Issuance Hits Record $3.68 Trillion in H1 2026

Global corporate bond issuance reached a record $3.68 trillion in the first half of 2026, marking a roughly 10% increase compared to the same period last year. The report from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) attributes this surge primarily to increased investment in artificial intelligence (AI).

While the total value of debt issued climbed, the number of individual debt offerings decreased by 12% to 10,408. This suggests that companies are issuing larger bond amounts per offering, indicating a trend towards bigger financing rounds.

Beyond traditional bonds, companies also raised approximately $470 billion through other instruments such as equity and convertible bonds. This figure represents the second-highest total for a six-month period on record, surpassed only by the performance in 2021.

The United States dominated the market for large bond issuances, accounting for over 30% of the global volume. Amazon's $36.8 billion bond offering in March, combined with corresponding euro-denominated bonds for a total of $54 billion, was the largest single issuance. These funds are reportedly earmarked for investments in cloud computing and AI data centers.