Yet filings are creeping up as interest rates rise, pandemic-era government support dries up and sales growth slows amid a cooling economy. Even those pre-pandemic numbers were relatively low in historic terms, in part because low interest rates made it easy for companies to borrow. As interest rates rose, it became costlier for Vice to refinance those loans. Envision Healthcare, a heavily indebted provider of staffing to hospitals, also struggled with higher interest rates before filing for bankruptcy last week. Turmoil in the banking business in March also contributed to a small rise in bankruptcy filings in that sector this year, S&P said.
