U.S. corporate bankruptcies fell slightly in September from the previous month, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence data.

There were 31 bankruptcy filings in September, down from 37 in August. As of Sept. 30, 279 companies had filed for bankruptcy in 2022, fewer than any other comparable period going back to at least 2010.

The global economic outlook remains gloomy as a hawkish Federal Reserve leads the charge against high inflation. Worsening financial conditions suggest that the U.S. is likely to enter a recession with a mild decline in GDP growth but unemployment that rises to 6%, according to an Oct. 4 report by S&P Global Market Intelligence economists.

Industrials maintains lead in filings

Industrials had the most filings for any sector with 48 so far in 2022 as of Sept. 30.

The consumer discretionary sector has the second-most filings for the year, with 43 at the end of September. An increasing number of consumer discretionary companies this year have lowered their corporate guidance and the sector is a favorite among short sellers.

Unlike the previous three months, September had no bankruptcy filings with more than $1 billion in reported liabilities.

* Click here to download the charts. * For retail-specific bankruptcy data, check out the monthly Retail Market Series.

Editor's note: This Data Dispatch is updated on a regular basis and the last edition was published Sept. 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.