The Indicator from Planet Money · Wednesday, September 16, 2026
The bond market's stability, particularly for AI-related debt, could be influenced by macroeconomic factors such as potential Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. Such increases would raise the overall cost of borrowing across the economy, directly impacting the debt burdens of tech companies building out data centers.
“This afternoon, we'll learn whether the Federal Reserve is indeed hiking interest rates. If they do, that will raise the overall cost of borrowing across the economy, including for the tech companies that keep adding to their debt piles.”
“These are scenarios that investors have to consider when they're deciding whether to lend money to the hyperscalers. Money that they might not make back for decades.”