Analysts revise AI hyperscaler debt forecasts after Amazon bond sale
Hyperscalers, which function huge information facilities and different infrastructure to facilitate AI coaching and deployment, have been elevating debt to finance information facilities wanted to gas the growth in AI.
“There continues to be an expectation of rather a lot of capital to be raised on this sector,” stated John Servidea, co-head of investment-grade debt capital markets at JPMorgan, which led the Amazon deal.
“Whether or not it is the businesses’ publicly acknowledged capex budgets, or whether or not it is varied banks’ estimates of the quantity of hyperscaler issuance, in case you have a look at all of these, a practical expectation could be that sooner or later there’s extra,” Servidea added.
Analysts at BofA World Analysis on Friday raised their forecast for the hyperscalers’ new debt in 2026 to $175 billion from $140 billion. In early February, Barclays analysts stated that U.S. investment-grade company bond issuance may very well be better than $2 trillion in 2026, which they stated “would exceed even the submit‑COVID file ranges seen in 2020.”
The 5 main AI hyperscalers – Amazon, Alphabet’s Google, Meta, Microsoft and Oracle – issued $121 billion in U.S. company bonds final yr, versus a mean $28 billion per yr between 2020 and 2024, based on a January report by BofA Securities. Microsoft and Oracle declined to remark, whereas the opposite firms didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Hyperscalers made up 4 of the 5 largest U.S. high-grade bond offers in 2025, based on a December report by MUFG analysts. Most of these came about within the second half of the yr. Oracle offered $18 billion in bonds in September. This was adopted in October by Meta’s $30 billion deal and November offers from Alphabet ($17.5 billion) and Amazon ($15 billion).
This yr noticed a $31.51 billion international bond elevate by Alphabet in February, which included a uncommon 100-year “century” bond as a part of the deal.
Most not too long ago, Amazon raised about $37 billion throughout 11 tranches within the U.S. bond market on March 10. This was adopted the subsequent day by a 14.5 billion euro-denominated ($16.8 billion) bond elevate by the corporate.
The overwhelming demand – almost 4 occasions the whole quantity offered – for Amazon’s bond sale underlines investor urge for food for debt from the main hyperscalers.
Market contributors consider the precise and anticipated debt elevate by hyperscalers will preserve forecasts for potential record-breaking general U.S. company debt issuance on observe, regardless of quiet days within the main market previous and following the escalation of battle on February 28 between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces.
“It is fertile floor proper now in capital markets, and also you’re additionally within the first half of the yr,” stated George Catrambone, head of fastened revenue, Americas, at asset supervisor DWS.