# Global AI-Related Debt Issuance Projected to Near $570 Billion in 2026

By John Kim

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/business/28445
Published: 2026-10-08T19:17:01.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-08T19:17:01.000Z
Section: Business

> Issuance reached nearly $236 billion by May 31, while hyperscalers had issued an estimated $219 billion of investment-grade bonds year to date as of Aug. 20.

Global AI-related debt issuance is projected to approach $570 billion in 2026 as technology companies finance data centers, computing capacity and power infrastructure, increasing credit-market supply and risk exposure.

Issuance had reached nearly $236 billion by May 31, four times the comparable period in 2025. Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are expected to spend $700 billion in 2026, adding to financing needs across the broader infrastructure buildout.

The expansion follows a shift toward bonds and other forms of debt alongside operating cash flow. The financing supports infrastructure investment, although the borrowing also covers broader corporate and balance-sheet needs beyond artificial intelligence.

As of Aug. 20, U.S. hyperscalers had issued an estimated $219 billion of investment-grade bonds year to date, including the equivalent of $62 billion in non-U.S. currencies. Their disclosed data-center lease obligations totaled about $1.4 trillion, with roughly $1.1 trillion held off balance sheet.

The added borrowing gives banks more activity in bond underwriting, loan arranging and trading tied to the resulting securities. It also increases the amount of debt investors must absorb as technology companies expand their infrastructure commitments.

Hyperscaler bond spreads widened by about 30 basis points year to date in 2026, compared with a 2-basis-point increase for the broader U.S. dollar investment-grade index. The difference reflects greater sensitivity to the supply expectations surrounding large technology borrowers.

The financing trend comes as companies commit capital ahead of fully realized revenue from expanded capacity. Slower-than-expected returns could increase pressure on credit markets and expose investors and banks to greater risk.