Verizon's Charter deal may break the bank

New York

VERIZON Communications Inc is said to have given thought to buying Charter Communications Inc, a deal that would create the biggest US wireless and Internet provider.

But many in the finance world are focused on another superlative a Charter tie-up could lead to: the world's biggest corporate debtor. And that's causing some credit analysts to wonder how Verizon could finance such a massive deal, while also achieving its goal of reducing debt, let alone avoiding a blow to its credit metrics that could jeopardise its investment-grade rating.