Investments

Given that Alphabet "is planning a 100-year bond," would you invest in Google for a hundred years?

Given that Alphabet "is planning a 100-year bond," would you invest in Google for a hundred years?
Alphabet, the owner of Google, is reportedly joining the club of rare century bonds

Alphabet, the company that owns Google, is reportedly considering issuing a 100-year bond.

The Magnificent 7-listed stock would be able to finance its artificial intelligence (AI) drive with the help of the rare bond issuance.

The Financial Times reported that the technology company is eager to increase the size of its investor base by issuing the sterling-denominated bond.

Companies are eager to invest money in creating tools and software because the AI race is currently very competitive.

Despite announcing revenue and earnings growth in the fourth quarter of 2025, Alphabet's share price dropped last week. This was attributed to the company increasing its projections for capital expenditures for the year from £91 to £185 billion to £175 billion to £185 billion.

A bond could help pay for some of this expenditure, and analysts predict that long-term investors like pension funds would be drawn to a 100-year issue.

What is a 100-year bond?

With a 100-year bond, a business or government can defer borrowing and interest payments for longer periods of time.

Investors profit from a steady flow of income, and insurance companies and pension funds can use them for liability matching to help pay for other expenses.

Such issuances are uncommon, in part because of the risks associated with interest rates and the potential for a company to fail.

Bloomberg claims that an Alphabet 100-year bond would be the first of its kind since the 1990s . com boom.

In the 1990s, IBM and Motorola both offered 100-year bonds for sale.

Other issuers of 100-year bonds are the Wellcome Trust, Elf, and the University of Oxford.

Is it wise to support Google for the foreseeable future?

The key concern with long-term bonds, aside from interest rate risk, is the duration of the company's existence.

Google is the industry leader in technology, but concerns have been raised about the AI stock prices and the possibility that businesses could become outdated in less than a century.

According to R3 Wealth director Liz Malik, "Alphabet is portraying themselves as institutions and governments that have stood the test of time. Would a tech company fit into the same category? Alphabet is the only company that can convince people that they are good for a hundred years.

The bond's specifics are still unknown, but according to Lale Akoner, global market analyst at eToro, the fact that a tech company can issue a 100-year bond speaks volumes about how investors are beginning to view the large hyperscalers.

"They are increasingly being treated more like long-term infrastructure and less like cyclical tech names," Akoner stated.

While century bonds are typically reserved for governments or regulated utilities with highly predictable cash flows, Akoner said that this possible transaction demonstrates that investors are willing to assume the long-term risk associated with AI investment, at least for the time being.

"It also highlights a shift away from tech funding growth purely from large cash piles, towards using debt as AI spending accelerates," she said.

"Even with a lot of supply in the market, that demand can help keep the long end of the gilt curve anchored, although macro conditions and political developments are likely to matter more overall," Akoner said, highlighting the potential deal and the ongoing demand for ultra-long sterling assets from insurers and pension funds. Although a steady rise in issuance from Big Tech could eventually put pressure on spreads, it serves as another reminder to credit markets that long-dated debt can still be sold by high-quality issuers.

"It made sense to issue in the UK. The sterling market is one of the few places where bonds with maturities ranging from 50 to 100 years consistently find buyers because of the structural demand from insurers and pension funds. Additionally, by issuing in sterling, Alphabet is able to diversify its funding sources and transfer some of the long-term uncertainty surrounding technology and AI returns to investors who are prepared to assume that level of risk.