U.S. companies issue shares at fastest rate ever, selling the rally

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. public companies sold more than $60 billion (48 billion pounds) in shares in May, the biggest monthly haul ever, as they capitalized on a stock market rally fueled by hopes that the COVID-19 pandemic is subsiding.The benchmark S&P 500 Index has risen around 40% off of recent lows, hit in late-March at the height of market panic during the coronavirus outbreak, and is now roughly 10% shy of all-time highs hit in February. The whipsawing markets stunted companies'..