Massive Debt Sale by Amazon Rattles Tech Bond Market

Amazon wants to borrow a huge amount of fresh money from bond investors. But those investors already hold a lot of tech debt - so they are selling some of their current bonds to make room.

Amazon's massive debt sale is part of a broader trend among tech giants raising capital to fund artificial intelligence infrastructure. Companies like Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta have also issued bonds in recent months to finance data center expansions and AI-related investments. The heavy supply of tech bonds has been a concern for investors, as it can pressure spreads and lower prices for existing bonds.

This wave of borrowing reflects the immense capital requirements of building and operating AI data centers, which demand billions of dollars in hardware, energy, and real estate. Microsoft alone has issued over $15 billion in bonds this year for similar purposes, and Meta has also tapped the debt market to support its AI research. The cumulative supply has made the tech bond sector one of the most active in the investment-grade market, putting steady pressure on spreads as investors absorb the flood of new issues.

This borrowing spree underscores the enormous financial commitment required for AI development, with companies like Amazon investing heavily in cloud computing and machine learning capabilities. The bond market has become a critical source of funding as these firms seek to maintain their competitive edge without diluting equity.

Beyond Amazon, other technology firms have also turned to debt markets to finance their AI ambitions. In recent quarters, companies such as Broadcom and TSMC have issued bonds to fund chip manufacturing and infrastructure expansions. This sustained appetite for borrowing has kept the tech debt pipeline busy, and many portfolio managers are now carefully managing their exposure to the sector to avoid being overwhelmed by new supply.

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Selling to Make Room

John Lloyd, who manages multi-sector credit and portfolios as a global head at Janus Henderson Investors, said, "Investors are selling hyperscaler bonds today for the same reason people sell one house before buying another - they need to free up capital. "The difference is that hyperscaler bonds are already abundant, and most portfolios are well stocked"."

That selling pressure hit Amazon's existing bonds, which were quoted about seven to 10 basis points wider by one dealer. The selling also spread to other tech names. SpaceX bonds were quoted nine to 13 basis points wider, according to another dealer.

Paying for Balance-Sheet Capacity

To get investors to buy its new bonds, Amazon will have to offer a concession - an extra yield compared to existing bonds.

"When supply keeps coming, issuers have to pay investors for that incremental balance-sheet capacity," said John Lloyd.

Skiba mentioned his underweight position in tech, anticipating that capital expenditure figures will keep exceeding expectations, likely prompting additional debt offerings. "Unless the market sees more evidence of large-scale equity raising to fund that capex, spreads are likely to remain under pressure. "We see better value in select data center deals where at least you have a lot more spread compensation on the table"."

What to Watch

The bond sale, consisting of eight tranches, is putting pressure on the wider technology sector. According to Lloyd, Janus Henderson holds a reduced position in both the tech sector and hyperscalers because of the ongoing influx of supply into the market. Andrzej Skiba expects spreads to remain under pressure unless companies start raising more equity to fund spending on AI infrastructure.

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