Barclays Leads European Banks’ Pursuit of Risky US Debt

The headquarters of the British bank Barclays (R) is seen at the Canary Wharf district of east London on June 20, 2017. Britain's Serious Fraud Office said on June 20 it had charged Barclays, a former chief executive of the banking giant and three other ex-managers, with "conspiracy to commit fraud" linked to emergency fundraising from Qatar during the financial crisis. / AFP PHOTO / Paul ELLIS Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images

When an indebted infant health-care company in Atlanta wanted to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars to buy a rival in Pasadena, it turned to a lender thousands of miles away in London.

Barclays Plc. is helping Aveanna Healthcare LLC get a $221 million loan for its purchase of Premier Healthcare Services LLC, adding to a $900 million debt last year. The deal will push Aveanna’s borrowings to more than 10 times its earnings and leave it with “little room for error,” S&P Global Ratings said.