10 h. ago What is private credit, and should we be worried by the collapse of US firms?

First Brands and Tricolor failures raise concerns for wider financial sector, including traditional banksThe collapse of two US firms, First Brands and Tricolor, has shone a light on private credit and its growing influence in the global economy.The failures have led to ballooning losses at traditional banks, and, coupled with worries about the health of US regional banks, have raised concerns about weak lending standards and potential threats from an opaque corner of the so-called shadow banking sector. Continue reading...

Economics

31 h. ago Bank shares lead global market fall amid jitters over US private credit

Signs of credit stress send markets in Europe and Asia down, while investors turn to safe haven assetsEuropean stock markets fell on Friday and gold hit a record high after two US regional banks said they had been exposed to millions of dollars of bad loans and alleged fraud.Signs of credit stress rattled markets across Europe and Asia. In London the FTSE 100 fell 0.9%, Germany’s Dax fell 1.8%, Italy’s FTSE Mib fell 1.5%, the Ibex in Spain was off 0.3% and France’s Cac 40 dropped 0.2%. Continue reading...

Economics

41 h. ago Stock markets hit by US regional bank worries and trade tensions – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsFears are swirling today that we could be facing a repeat of the US regional banking crisis of 2023.That episode led to the demise of US bank SVB and then Europe’s Credit Suisse.An initially positive risk mood turned during the US session yesterday after news that Zions Bancorp (-13.14%) made a $50m charge-off while Western Alliance (-10.81%) alleged it also suffered from fraud on loans to the same borrowers linked to distressed commercial mortgages.While this was an ostensibly isolated story at two banks each less than $10bn market cap, the event drew inevitable comparisons to the regional bank stress that followed the collapse of SVB in March 2023 and raised broader questions over potential credit quality issues after a lengthy period of elevated rates and expansion in private credit, following also the bankruptcy of subprime auto lender Tricolor last month. Continue reading...

Economics

57 h. ago Head of IMF says risks in private credit market keep her awake at night

Kristalina Georgieva urges vigilance over ‘very significant shift of financing’ after collapse of Tricolor and First BrandsThe head of the International Monetary Fund has admitted that worrying about the risks building up in non-bank lending markets keeps her awake at night.Kristalina Georgieva on Thursday urged countries to pay more attention to the private credit market, after the failure of the sub-prime auto lender Tricolor and the car parts supplier First Brands. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago The secretive First Brands founder, his $12bn debt and the future of private credit

Patrick James borrowed billions — even after presiding over a string of failed businesses

Economics

4 d. ago JP Morgan boss says more ‘cockroaches’ will emerge after private credit sector failures

Jamie Dimon expects further weak links in ‘shadow banking’ sector to be revealed after collapse of two US firmsThe boss of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon, has warned over further losses linked to the private credit sector, saying more “cockroaches” could emerge after the collapse of the sub-prime auto lender Tricolor and the car parts supplier First Brands.The bank said on Tuesday that although it had no exposure to First Brands, which sells car parts across the US, it had taken a $170m (£128m) hit from Tricolor, which collapsed amid fraud allegations last month. Continue reading...

Economics

9 d. ago UK monitors First Brands and Tricolor collapses for private credit risks

Failures of two US companies reliant on asset-based lending prove ‘useful case studies’, Financial Conduct Authority says

Economics

2 w. ago Short seller Jim Chanos predicts more First Brands fiascos in private credit

Investor famed for spotting Enron fraud sounds alarm on Wall Street’s booming debt machine

Economics

2 w. ago Jim Chanos slams ‘magical machine’ of private credit after First Brands collapse

Investor famed for spotting Enron fraud sounds alarm on Wall Street’s booming debt machine

Economics