Companies worldwide are selling bonds at the second-fastest paceon record with investors seeing the debt as an alternative totraditional havens such as government securities that are nowpaying negative yields.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's biggest brewer, and MexicoCity-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-gradeyields that average a record-low 3.13 percent, or 2.13 percentagepoints more than government securities, and balance sheets thathold near record amounts of cash, according to Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch index data. At the same time, stocks and commoditiesare losing money as Europe's debt turmoil spreads and the globaleconomy falters.