Nov 3 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms said on Tuesday it is raising $15 billion through a five-part US dollar bond offering, as the Facebook parent turns to debt markets to help finance accelerating investments in AI infrastructure.
The offering adds to a wave of AI-related fundraising as companies seek capital for data centers, computing capacity and cloud expansion, despite historically relying on strong cash balances to fund growth.
It comprises $3.25 billion of notes due in 2031 carrying a 5.85% coupon
and another $3.25 billion due in 2033 at 6.25%, according to a regulatory filing.
Meta previously tapped debt markets with a $25 billion investment-grade bond sale in April and a $30 billion offering last year, underscoring its growing use of external financing to fund long-term AI investments.
The debt sale comes days after Meta expanded plans for what could become a $97.5 billion equity raise, highlighting the scale of funding the company is seeking for AI infrastructure. Meta has said it expects capital expenditure of $135 billion-$145 billion this year, largely driven by AI investments.
Moody's assigned the new debt an Aa3 rating, saying it expects Meta to maintain conservative financial policies and a positive net cash position despite rising AI spending.
Meta's total debt stood at $83.67 billion, as of September 30, according to data compiled by LSEG.
(Reporting by Prathik Jayaprakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila, Leroy Leo and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
