Capital Markets: Record $4.7 Trillion Raised in 2026

Companies have raised a record $4.7 trillion in equity, corporate debt and bank loans through mid-2026, marking the third straight annual increase and running roughly $500 billion ahead of the 2021 post-pandemic peak. The surge stems mainly from technology firms funding AI spending plus record debt for AI infrastructure, while investment-grade private credit outside these totals increasingly backs data centers, semiconductors and power plants. Investors continue directing capital into the AI buildout at an unprecedented pace.