OUTLOOK 2026

Global Investment-Grade Credit: Key Themes for 2026

In 2025, credit spreads in global investment grade corporate bonds remained notably resilient.1 In this paper, we outline the reasons behind this resilience and highlight where security selection may offer opportunities.

Credit spreads: Resilient through periods of stress

Credit spreads were broadly robust in 2025. There were several episodes of elevated market volatility that triggered temporary spread widening, but these moves proved short lived. Overall, spreads hovered around the tight end of the post Global Financial Crisis range across both US IG and EUR IG.2

Why did spreads remain so stable?

Several factors supported this outcome:

Chart showing flows into investment-grade corporate bonds

Source: BlackRock, EPFR. As of 31 December 2025

Global macroeconomic environment

An improving global economic backdrop3

Corporate fundamentals

Solid corporate fundamentals4

Technical factors

Positive technicals, in particular persistent investor demand and limited net new issue supply5

Fundamentals: A strong picture across global IG

Fundamentals remain supportive:
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Corporate profitability

Corporate profitability remains robust.6
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Strong balance sheets

Despite the significant rise in interest rates after the pandemic, balance sheets remain in good shape.7
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Positive rating trends

Interest coverage averages around 9x, and ratings trends remain positive.8

The current market landscape?

This report highlights three themes shaping today’s environment:

  1. Stable corporate fundamentals and strong investor demand reinforce stability in the asset class, alongside still attractive yields.
  2. Diverging sector dynamics are driving higher dispersion across global IG credit markets and call for a selective approach.
  3. With spreads extremely tight and dispersion elevated, careful security selection matters. Tailored systems and optimisers support robust, efficient portfolio positioning in this carry-focused environment.
Source

1, 2 Bloomberg, 15 January 2025, available online at: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/insights/markets/looking-back-at-2025-fixed-income/ (accessed 21 January 2026).
3 BlackRock, Global Investment Grade Corporate Bonds. Key Themes for 2026, 21 January 2026, p. 2.
4, 5 Bloomberg, 15 January 2025, available online at: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/insights/markets/looking-back-at-2025-fixed-income/ (accessed 21 January 2026).
6 BlackRock, Global Investment Grade Corporate Bonds. Key Themes for 2026, 21 January 2026, figure on p. 3. Source: BlackRock and Bloomberg, 30 September 2025.
7, 8 BlackRock, Global Investment Grade Corporate Bonds. Key Themes for 2026, 21 January 2026, p. 2.