BHP Billiton’s plans to hit the road and meet investors around the world to discuss the issuance of what would be the mining giant's debut hybrid bond underlines how this growing segment of the debt market is drawing the attention of multinational borrowers.

The miner announced on September 22 that it will kick off a string of investor meetings in Europe, Asia and the US on September 28. Depending on those meetings and the state of the market, the company may then issue "multi-currency hybrid capital instruments" to institutional debt investors.