The Corporate Bond Market Is Thriving

By Adrienne PenakeThe corporate bond market continues to gain strength with record issuance and tightening spreads. 2009 was a banner year for corporate bond returns. As blown-out spreads contracted, investors didn’t have to do much to make money from either yield plays or rising prices. High-yield bonds earned a staggering 58% total return for the year. That won’t be true for 2010, however, but the year has begun with corporate bond issuance and investor appetite at record highs.