The $1.35tn US junk bond market has shrunk by almost $200bn since its all-time peak in late 2021, helping to anchor prices at levels that investors say could give false signals about the health of the world’s largest economy.

A steep rise in interest rates since early last year has helped deter companies from selling new bonds, while several companies have climbed out of the high-yield market into investment grade territory. Meanwhile, more borrowers are turning to private markets for fresh funds. Altogether, this has wiped 13 per cent off the total value of US junk bonds in issue since the record high.

That shrinkage has left investors with less choice about what they can buy and has pushed some fund managers to purchase bonds they might not otherwise have picked. That is helping prop up junk bond prices, even though many market participants continue to anticipate some form of economic slowdown.