AI companies have borrowed nearly half a trillion dollars in 2026, and the year isn't over
Borrowers tied to the AI buildout have priced close to $500 billion of new debt this year, per Bloomberg data and Goldman Sachs Research estimatesThe hyperscalers alone have issued $194 billion so far in 2026, up from $108 billion in all of 2025, per GoldmanAnd they're only about 40% of the total. The rest is chipmakers, data center developers, utilities and project finance deals$Oracle(ORCL.US), $Broadcom(AVGO.US) and $SpaceX(SPCX.US) are among the biggest borrowers, and there have been nine U.S. high-grade bond deals of $25 billion or more this year, the most ever per BloombergMorgan Stanley expects AI-related debt issuance to reach nearly $570 billion for the full yearThe AI boom started out funded by cash flow. It's increasingly funded by credit, and credit markets are less forgiving than stock buybacks. With $Meta Platforms(META.US) reporting tonight, how it plans to pay for its next round of capex matters as much as the capex number itselfSource: StockMarket.News






