The Largest Corporate Bonds This Year

Cheap money means big borrowing by America's largest corporations. A $450 million bond issue by McDonald's (MCD) Wednesday will pay a record low 3.5% yield on 10-year debt, and other companies are also getting in on the low interest charged by the current capital markets.

According to The Wall Street Journal, corporate borrowing is surging even as investors see lower yields. Corporate debt issues are already at $1.4 trillion worldwide. That's less than the $2.1 trillion worth of issues for the same period a year ago, but the European debt crisis had put the brakes on borrowing for most of May and June.

Although many U.S. companies are cash rich, low interest rates are spurring many to refinance existing debt, pushing down yields for bond investors.

The largest issue pairs, from Kraft (KFT) and Novartis (NVS), were part of the same two fund-raising efforts but carried different interest rates.)

Issue Date Issuer Industry Description Rating Proceeds
($US Bil.)
Source: Standard & Poor's
Feb. 4Kraft FoodsManufacturing5.375% Global Bonds due '20BBB-3.719
Feb. 4Kraft FoodsManufacturing6.500% Global Bonds due '40BBB-2.971
March 9Novartis CapitalManufacturing1.900% Gtd Global Nts due '13AA-1.997
March 9Novartis CapitalManufacturing2.900% Gtd Global Nts due '15AA-1.990
Feb. 4Kraft FoodsManufacturing4.125% Global Bonds due '16BBB-1.744
June 30Wal-Mart StoresRetail3.625% Global Notes due '20AA1.498
Feb. 24ComcastRadio/TV/Telecom5.150% Sr Unsecurd Nts due '20BBB+1.398
March 3Time Warner CableRadio/TV/Telecom4.875% Gtd Global Nts due '20BBB1.395
May 26Discovery Communications LLCRadio/TV/Telecom5.050% Gtd Global Nts due '20BBB-1.295
March 30Linn Energy LLCNatural Resource8.625% Senior Notes due '20B1.268
Jan. 11PepsiCoManufacturingGlobal FRNs due '11A+1.250
June 8MicrosoftPers/Bus/Rep SvcZero Cpn Cvt Senior Nts due '13AAA1.250

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