Corporate bonds mature and the principle is paid back. Unlike publicly traded stock, the bond asset never has to be sold on the open market to get rid of it so

Corporate bonds mature and the principle is paid back. Unlike publicly traded stock, the bond asset never has to be sold on the open market to get rid of it so this part isnt a concern. If there is a threat that the corporation cannot pay back, or if the corporation merely feels like it, they will issue new bonds and use the proceeds to pay back old ones. Yes it is exactly what it sounds like and there is enough investor appetite for it. When the corporation’s bond offerings are no longer investment grade then there is less of a chance of their being investor appetite for a future bond rollover and the corporation should try to pay the existing bond. Therefore the SIZE of the corporate debt outstanding is only clickbait. This article talks about how there are signs that some companies historically wouldnt be able to tap into bond investor appetite to issue new bonds to cover their cash shortfalls on current bonds. Investor appetite may still be there or the company puts more resources into paying back current bonds in full before they mature, YEARS from now. Notably this article didnt talk about maturity dates.