Blue-chip companies' refinancing risks have climbed to a 13-year high, as near-term maturities close in amid the higher-for-longer interest rate outlook, according to Moody's Investors Service.

"Maturities within our five-year scope rose amid higher issuance and shifted earlier in that window, with companies opting for shorter tenors and high rates dissuading refinancing," credit analysts including Ignacio Rasero said in a note. Nearly $1.3 trillion of notes from blue-chip firms are coming due between 2024 and 2028, according to the note.

The share of maturities within the first three years of Moody's five-year scope increased to 61 percent, compared with 58 percent last year, pushing refinancing risk earlier. Companies seeking to refinance will continue to face higher funding burdens, as stubborn inflation is keeping benchmark rates elevated, according to Moody's.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

Your access to unlimited Treasury & Risk content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Thought leadership on regulatory changes, economic trends, corporate success stories, and tactical solutions for treasurers, CFOs, risk managers, controllers, and other finance professionals
  • Informative weekly newsletter featuring news, analysis, real-world case studies, and other critical content
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.