Meta Platforms Inc.Meta's data center financing via BlackRock bond shows weak demand for AI-related debt, and Meta's credit-default swaps have jumped, reflecting higher borrowing costs.
BlackRock sold a $12.5 billion bond on Monday to help finance a Texas data center for Meta Platforms, paying a hefty 7.53% yield as demand for AI-related debt shows signs of fatigue. The offering, one of the largest AI high-grade jumbo bond sales in the US, attracted just $20 billion in orders, or about 1.6 times the deal size, the lowest demand multiple for such a deal and far below the 2026 average of roughly four times. The spread of 2.875 percentage points over Treasuries was the widest for an A-rated or higher bond in three years, according to JPMorgan strategists, though it tightened to 2.67 points on Tuesday as the high yields drew more buyers. The bond is part of a broader AI borrowing binge that has seen over $570 billion raised globally since 2025, pushing up borrowing costs and triggering a jump in credit-default swaps on companies like Meta, Oracle, Alphabet, and SpaceX. The deal, structured to keep the debt off Meta's balance sheet, includes a residual value guarantee and leases with a four-year initial term and four extension options, giving Meta flexibility over a potential 20-year term.
Meta Platforms Inc.Meta's data center financing via BlackRock bond shows weak demand for AI-related debt, and Meta's credit-default swaps have jumped, reflecting higher borrowing costs.
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BlackRock IncBlackRock sold a $12.5B bond at a high 7.53% yield with weak demand (1.6x oversubscription), indicating higher borrowing costs and potential investor fatigue for AI debt.
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