U.S. corporate bankruptcies fell in July from the previous month, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.
There were 31 bankruptcy filings in July, down from 40 in June. As of July 31, 212 companies have filed for bankruptcy in 2022, which is fewer than any other comparable period going back to at least 2010.
Industrials leads filings
Industrials overtook consumer discretionary in July as the sector with the most bankruptcies for the year. There were 38 industrials bankruptcies as of July 31; consumer discretionary had 34 filings in the same period.
Announced industrials bankruptcies in 2022 include companies in construction and engineering, aerospace and defense, and office services and supplies.
There were eight bankruptcies in 2022 with more than $1 billion in liabilities, three of which were filed in July: Aearo Technologies LLC, Celsius Network LLC and Voyager Digital Holdings Inc.
An ongoing favorite among short sellers, consumer discretionary was the most shorted of all stock sectors in mid-July as hot inflation raises questions about future consumer spending.
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* For retail-specific bankruptcy data, check out the monthly Retail Market Series.
Hopes of a quicker end to U.S. rate tightening and an arguably more upbeat earnings season so far have contributed to a recent positive tone in the market, S&P Global Ratings said in a report Aug. 1. But it is unclear if the positive tone can be sustained while inflation remains high and recession fears persist, Ratings said.
Editor's note: This Data Dispatch is updated on a regular basis and the last edition was published July 7.
Bankruptcy figures include public companies or private companies with public debt with a minimum of $2 million in assets or liabilities at the time of filing, in addition to private companies with at least $10 million in assets or liabilities. Market Intelligence may remove companies from this list if it discovers that their total assets and liabilities do not meet the threshold requirement for inclusion.