Blackstone flags potential junk rating for Anthropic after IPO
Blackstone has told investors that Anthropic may receive a sub-investment-grade credit rating after its planned IPO, revising earlier expectations and potentially raising the AI company’s financing costs, according to a report by the Financial Times.
Private equity firm Blackstone has informed investors that Anthropic, the AI company, may receive a sub-investment-grade credit rating following its anticipated IPO, according to a report by the Financial Times. This news significantly deviates from earlier projections and could potentially elevate the cost of financing for the artificial intelligence firm.
The update was communicated by Blackstone in connection with Anthropic's $63 billion chip financing initiative, known as Project North Star. The firm's funds have invested $9 billion in the project's junior debt, which carries an interest rate surpassing 10%. The prospectus for Anthropic outlines plans to allocate over $800 billion towards the development of computing infrastructure by the year 2045.
A sub-investment-grade rating could potentially limit the company's ability to access institutional capital, including from insurers and pension funds, thereby forcing it to increasingly rely on guarantees from more highly rated suppliers. Over $42 billion of North Star's senior loans are secured by Broadcom, while $18 billion of junior debt is protected by Anthropic's lease payments.
As of now, credit ratings have only been assigned to the junior tranche at BB+ by Kroll Bond Rating Agency and BB by Morningstar DBRS. Ratings for Anthropic itself have not yet been issued by Fitch, Moody's, and S&P.
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