The six biggest tech companies are now borrowing so much money that they’re competing with the US government for investors’ attention.
JPMorgan strategist Michael Cembalest flagged that hyperscalers, the group that includes Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, and Nvidia, have collectively issued roughly $320 billion in new long-term investment-grade debt and related financing through late August 2026. That figure represents approximately 68-70% of total new long-term US Treasury bond issuance over the same period.
The AI spending binge behind the borrowing
Prior to 2025, these same companies issued under $50 billion annually in debt, relying instead on enormous cash piles generated by their core businesses. In 2025, hyperscaler debt issuance climbed to roughly $180-205 billion. By 2026, it nearly doubled again.
The six largest hyperscalers now make up approximately 5% of the US investment-grade bond index, double their share from just two years ago.
The Treasury yield pressure
When high-quality corporate borrowers flood the market with new bonds, they compete directly with Treasuries for the same pool of fixed-income capital. That dynamic can push Treasury yields higher on the margin, as the government has to offer more attractive rates to compete.
Credit spreads on hyperscaler bonds have widened modestly, with median increases of 10-22 basis points across some tenors. The broader AI-linked bond issuance picture is even larger. Related sales across currencies have exceeded $220 billion in 2026.
Can the market handle another $1.5 trillion?
JPMorgan global market strategist Stephanie Aliaga estimates that the hyperscaler group could comfortably absorb an additional $1.5 trillion in debt without increasing their leverage ratios above the broader market average.
For fixed-income investors, hyperscaler bonds offer exposure to some of the most creditworthy companies on earth, backed by recurring revenue and strong cash generation. However, the sheer volume of issuance means these bonds are no longer scarce, and the crowding-out effect on Treasuries introduces an additional variable in the rates equation.