The first-six-month total was the highest for any first half in 16 years, signaling mounting stress among bigger corporate borrowers.
The United States logged 372 large-company bankruptcies in the first six months of 2026, marking the highest first-half total in 16 years. The figure points to rising pressure across larger businesses, where higher financing costs, weaker demand or tighter credit conditions can strain balance sheets and push more companies into court-supervised restructuring or liquidation.