Corporate Bond Trading Surges as AI Investments Drive Record Market Activity
Corporate bond trading volumes reached unprecedented levels last year, averaging $50 billion daily according to Crisil Coalition Greenwich. The 2024 figure of $46 billion was eclipsed as companies scramble to fund ambitious AI projects requiring massive data center investments.
Wall Street giants Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase anticipate record issuance of investment-grade corporate bonds. Private credit markets are particularly active, with Meta Platforms and Blue Owl Capital securing $27 billion for a Louisiana data center project—a deal first reported by Cryptopolitan.
"This represents the single biggest opportunity heading into 2026," said Rehan Latif, Morgan Stanley's global credit trading head. "New markets always experience secondary trading lag. The timing for this expansion is optimal."
Tech and utility firms dominate longer-dated bond issuance to finance AI infrastructure. Citadel Securities' credit trading head Sam Berberian notes these extended maturities are reshaping credit market dynamics.