Apple issues $8B bond sale as debt market nears all-time low

I know very little about bonds, but I admit that I don't understand fully how they work.

Look at the interest rate for the 3 year note, it's 0.75%?

So somebody who invests in that bond will only get 0.75% after parking their money for 3 years? Does that sound worthwhile?

Why don't they just take their money and park it in a bank account or something that will grant them a lot higher interest rate than 0.75%?

Institutions who have billions laying around to invest, why don't they just invest in AAPL stock and make a killing instead of a lousy 0.75% after tying up their money for many years?

apple ][ said:

Institutions who have billions laying around to invest, why don't they just invest in AAPL stock and make a killing instead of a lousy 0.75% after tying up their money for many years?

Because generations of people have been told to invest in bonds and fixed income as they get closer to retirement.  Beyond that... it makes no sense, but fighting that idea is a fools errand.

But you are not going to find 0.75% interest in a savings account right now.  (You will of course get more than that in dividends alone from Apple stock though.)

aaarrrgggh said:

But you are not going to find 0.75% interest in a savings account right now.  (You will of course get more than that in dividends alone from Apple stock though.)

Many banks offer more than 0.75% at the moment.

Ally for example has 1.50% currently in their regular savings account.

apple ][ said:

I know very little about bonds, but I admit that I don't understand fully how they work.

Look at the interest rate for the 3 year note, it's 0.75%?

So somebody who invests in that bond will only get 0.75% after parking their money for 3 years? Does that sound worthwhile?

Why don't they just take their money and park it in a bank account or something that will grant them a lot higher interest rate than 0.75%?

Institutions who have billions laying around to invest, why don't they just invest in AAPL stock and make a killing instead of a lousy 0.75% after tying up their money for many years?

If you’re sitting on a pile of cash that you don’t need for a few years, what would you do with it?

 Buy AAPL stock – like any stock, there’s a risk that it could be worth less than you paid for it when you need to get the cash back?

You could park it in a bank account but to be honest, but Looking at the way the banking system is run, Apple is less likely to go bust. 

Question:
If Apple has "repatriated" and paid the (relatively) minimal corporate taxes due that Apple lobbied for and as has been reported they did, why would they issue bonds at all for repurchasing stock. Simply pay with the cash on hand already taxed. The obvious answer is they have not either repatriated it or paid any taxes on it. 
They can't use it for stock repurchases.