Major US cloud providers’ credit-default swap spreads reportedly hit record highs

A September 17, 2026 market commentary post says five-year credit-default swap spreads—the cost of insuring debt against default—for major US cloud providers rose above roughly 100 basis points, their highest level on record. US bank spreads remained largely flat near 40 basis points, it says. The post interprets the gap as investors reassessing cloud providers’ credit fundamentals, rather than simply dealers hedging new bond issuance. It points to debt-financed AI infrastructure, rising leverage, negative free cash flow and uncertainty over how quickly AI investments will generate returns, framing the boom as an emerging “AI debt bubble” story.