Bonds sales up 31% since Oct. '06

The bond market is recovering from August’s credit crisis, with $41.4 billion bonds sold in October, The Bond Buyer reported. The increase in sales — 31% since October 2006 — was due to 14 sales larger than $500 million, according to BB, based on preliminary data from Thompson Financial, a Canada-based financial information solution company. More than $366 billion in bonds were sold from January to October, 2007, and, except for August — U.S. credit crisis was at its peak — each month delivered increased market volume. Thompson’s data showed that general purpose finance increased to $15.3 billion bonds generated. Health care issuers sold $4.3 billion in October, up from $3.6 billion, and electric power issuers sold $2 billion, up from $725 million last year, according to the report. Issuers sold $5.5 billion of debt in auction, a 228% increase from $1.7 billion October 2006, Thompson’s data showed.