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CoreWeave Bond Plunge Sounds Alarm; Fed May Need to Reassess Its Rate-Hike Pace
BlockBeats reported that October 20, Bloomberg columnist Jonathan Levin wrote that AI cloud computing provider CoreWeave's bond yield surged at one point this month to 15%, while yields on U.S. junk-grade and investment-grade corporate bonds also rose to 2025-year and 2023-year highs, respectively, indicating that corporate financing costs are again weighing on economic growth.
Over the past several years, U.S. companies have withstood the impact of Federal Reserve rate hikes through long-term debt issued during the low-interest-rate period. However, as debt matures and refinancing costs rise, the tightening effects in corporate credit channels are gradually becoming apparent. CoreWeave relies on debt to purchase AI chips, expand data centers, and lease computing capacity, making its financing model particularly vulnerable to rising borrowing costs. The financing costs of companies such as Oracle, Alphabet, and Meta are also facing upward pressure.
The greater risk lies in maturing-debt pressure. In the Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Bond Index, approximately one-quarter of constituent bonds will mature within the next to 3 years, and refinancing pressure around 2028 is particularly noteworthy. If credit spreads widen in a disorderly manner, this could lead to more defaults, reduced corporate investment, and higher unemployment.
Levin believes moderate credit tightening could help cool the AI capital expenditure boom, but if it turns into uncontrolled credit tightening, it could amplify downside economic risks. He therefore advocates that the Federal Reserve keep the interest-rate range of October to 3.75%unchanged at its 4%policy meeting and cautiously evaluate December's policy options.
Original link https://m.theblockbeats.info/flash/372792