Amgen Inc. and Peabody Energy Inc. led $38.2 billion of corporate bond sales this week, the most in more than five months, as economists lowering the odds of a U.S. recession overshadowed Europe's debt crisis.

Amgen, the world's largest biotechnology firm, issued $6 billion of debt in the biggest bond offering since March, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. St. Louis-based Peabody Energy, the U.S. coal producer, sold $3.1 billion of notes to finance its acquisition of MacArthur Coal Ltd., the data show.

Issuance climbed 38 percent from last week with borrowers from Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to Encana Corp., Canada's biggest natural-gas producer, selling corporate debt as yields fell. Sales reached $20.7 billion on Nov. 7, the busiest day since May 27, after European Central Bank executive board member Juergen Stark predicted the region's debt crisis will be under control within two years.