(Updates with Amazon's response in the third paragraph.)
Amazon.com (AMZN) has hired banks for its first sterling bond offering that could launch as soon as Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The e-commerce giant intends to offer tranches ranging from three years to 19 years, the unnamed source told the news outlet, adding that JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Barclays (BCS), HSBC (HSBC), and Natwest Group (NWG) are managing the deal.
"We regularly evaluate our operating plan and make financing decisions, like issuing bonds, accordingly," an Amazon spokesperson toldin an e-mail statement. "The proceeds from this issuance will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include, but are not limited to, supporting business investments, funding future capital expenditures, and repaying upcoming debt maturities."