PE-Backed Firms Suffering Higher Default Rates, Moody’s Says

Companies owned by private equity firms are landing in default more frequently than other speculative-grade borrowers, according to a report from Moody’s Ratings.

Private equity-backed companies defaulted at a rate of 17% between January 2022 and August of this year, twice the rate of non-private equity-backed companies, Moody’s said in the report released Thursday. Among the 12 largest private equity sponsors — as ranked by Moody’s — the default rate was slightly lower at around 14%.

Private equity-backed companies tend to have more debt and lower credit ratings than their peers, contributing to the higher default rate, Moody’s said. Higher ...