Rising interest rates have caused corporate bond yields to increase significantly in Europe and the U.S. —with major implications for companies with large amounts of debt. These firms will likely experience higher costs from increased borrowing.
The below table shows the six European low-debt stocks with a buy rating from Bernstein and an investment-grade credit rating: The MSCI EMU ex-Financials Index stocks above all featured in a Bernstein screen based on a combination of sector net-debt-to-equity ratios and credit ratings. Net-debt-to-equity ratio measures how much leverage a company has relative to its total equity, indicating the financial health and stability of the business.