Corporate Bankruptcies Ticked Up 43% in First Quarter From 2023

Commercial Chapter 11 filings were up 43% in the first three months of 2024 over the same period last year, continuing an upward trend for new bankruptcy cases.

There were 1,894 new commercial Chapter 11 cases in the first quarter of the year, up from 1,325 in that period last year, according to data tracked by Epiq Bankruptcy, a bankruptcy services provider.

The bump includes an increase in small business filings, known as Subchapter V cases. There were 606 of those cases filed in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 465 in the first quarter of 2023. Consumer bankruptcies ...