Junk Bonds—Have They Lost Their Luster?

High‐yield bonds have made giant takeovers possible. The largest takeover recorded so far, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co.'s (KKR) $24 billion acquisition of RJR‐Nabisco, was financed in large part by high‐yield bonds. Even though it was almost twice the size of the largest transaction up to that point, KKR had no trouble raising the money. Like many takeover financings, the offer was oversubscribed.