Investors have plowed $151 billion into coronavirus bonds in a rush to stem pandemic damage

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• Investors pushed $151.5 billion into so-called pandemic bonds from February to May as firms raised debt linked to coronavirus relief efforts, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
• Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer raised $1.25 billion in March, while Bank of America issued $1 billion in bonds set to raise cash for healthcare lending.
• More than 200 companies in China collectively raised more than $74 billion in May with pandemic-related debt sales, according to The Journal.
• The assets are still mired in some debate, as coronavirus bonds aren't tied to specific criteria and payouts aren't closely tracked.
• Visit the Business Insider homepage for more stories.

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Companies, central banks, and governments sold $151.5 billion worth of so-called pandemic bonds from February to May as investors rushed to coronavirus-relief assets, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Such bond sales eclipsed those of sustainability-focused debt in March and peaked at $66.5 billion worth of sales in April, according to BNP Paribas research viewed by The Journal. Issuance dipped in May to $43.6 billion but still overshadowed firms' sales of socially responsible bonds.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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