Companies worldwide are selling bonds at the second-fastest pace on record with investors seeing the debt as an alternative to traditional havens such as government securities that are now paying negative yields.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's biggest brewer, and Mexico City-based America Movil SAB de CV led sales this week of at least $74.2 billion, bringing this year's total to $2.08 trillion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That's second only to the $2.37 trillion issued at this point in 2009.

Investors are seeking corporate bonds with investment-grade yields that average a record-low 3.13 percent, or 2.13 percentage points more than government securities, and balance sheets that hold near record amounts of cash, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch index data. At the same time, stocks and commodities are losing money as Europe's debt turmoil spreads and the global economy falters.