Alphabet raises $3.9 billion in inaugural Australian dollar bond

Alphabet has successfully raised A$5.5 billion ($3.89 billion) through its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance, according to a term sheet reviewed by Reuters. This significant fundraising effort by the U.S. tech giant is part of a growing trend among global technology companies seeking to fund their substantial AI investments.

The bonds, which have maturities of 3, 5, 10, and 20 years, were offered at a coupon rate of 6.9% on the longest tenor bond. Investor bids for the A$5.5 billion debt offering far exceeded expectations, with interest from investors totaling over A$18 billion. This marks the first time an AI hyperscaler has tapped into the Australian dollar debt market and the initial U.S. large-cap tech firm to issue a local currency bond since Apple introduced a similar "Kangaroo" bond in 2016.

The move highlights Australia's corporate bond market's increasing popularity among major issuers as they seek to diversify funding sources and reduce reliance on U.S. dollar transactions.