Article: Rate jitters spur banks to issue debt at record pace.

Fear that interest rates will continue their recent upward march prompted a record $10 billion of debt issuance by banks in May.

And though chances are that June will be less active, U.S. Bancorp, Bankers Trust, BankAmerica, Citicorp, and Wachovia have already issued close to $1.8 billion in debt this month.

"The rates are beginning to rise," said one official at Citicorp, and people are giving up on the idea that they will get lower. Those who were holding out see now that lower rates are "not going to come," said the official, who asked not to be identified.

Lower interest rates mean a lower cost to debt issuers, and banks can gain an advantage by ...

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