Since 2024, PESP has tracked and analyzed corporate bankruptcies, identifying the disproportionate role that private equity-owned firms have played in bankruptcy filings. This trend continued into the third quarter of 2026. Although private equity-backed firms make up only about 7% of the US economy, private equity backed firms made up 33% of the largest corporate bankruptcies with over $1 billion in liabilities (3 of 9), 36% of large bankruptcies with liabilities over $500 million (5 of 14), and 20% of all corporate bankruptcies with over $10 million in liabilities (16 of 29).

Private equity backed companies made up 60% of bankruptcies with over $10 million in liabilities in the manufacturing sector in Q3 2026 (6 out of 10). For more information on private equity buyouts in the manufacturing sector, see PESP’s September 2026 report. READ MORE