Wall Street braced for a private credit meltdown. The risk of one is rising

Private Credit Under Scrutiny After High-Profile Bankruptcies

Summary

The rapid growth of the private credit market is facing increased scrutiny following recent bankruptcies and warnings from major Wall Street figures. While proponents argue it strengthens the financial system, critics point to its opacity and potential risks.

Key Points

  • Market Growth & Recent Shock: Private credit has grown significantly since the 2008 crisis, with estimates projecting a rise to $4.9 trillion by 2029. The September 2025 bankruptcies of auto firms Tricolor and First Brands, backed by private credit, triggered alarm.
  • High-Profile Warnings: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned that credit problems are rarely isolated. Billionaire investor Jeffrey Gundlach criticized “garbage loans” and predicted the next crisis could originate here.
  • Opacity & Valuation Concerns: The market is lightly regulated and non-transparent. A major concern is that lenders themselves value the loans, creating potential incentives to delay recognizing problems, as seen in the Renovo case.
  • Rising Risks: Defaults are expected to rise in 2025, and borrowers increasingly use payment-in-kind options to avoid default, indicating stress.
  • Banks’ Dual Role: Ironically, banks are major lenders to nonbank financial institutions (NDFIs), funding their competitors. JPMorgan’s loans to this sector tripled from 2018 to 2025.
  • Competition & Future Worries: Increased competition from banks and new entrants may lower underwriting standards. Experts worry future problems in this large, private market may be harder to resolve than in the regulated banking sector.

私人信贷市场受审视:高调破产案后的风险与担忧

摘要

在近期发生企业破产案并受到华尔街重要人物警告后,快速增长的私人信贷市场正面临越来越多的审视。支持者认为它增强了金融体系的韧性,但批评者则指出其不透明性和潜在风险。

关键点

  • 市场增长与近期冲击:自2008年金融危机以来,私人信贷显著增长,预计到2029年将达4.9万亿美元。2025年9月,由私人信贷支持的汽车行业公司Tricolor和First Brands破产,拉响了警报。
  • 高层警告:摩根大通首席执行官杰米·戴蒙警告称信贷问题很少是孤立的。亿万富翁投资者杰弗里·冈拉克批评其为”垃圾贷款”,并预测下一次金融危机可能源于此。
  • 不透明性与估值担忧:该市场监管宽松、缺乏透明度。一个主要担忧是贷款由放贷人自行估值,这可能导致其延迟确认问题,如Renovo案例所示。
  • 风险上升:预计2025年违约率将上升,借款人越来越多地使用实物支付选项来避免违约,这表明压力正在显现。
  • 银行的双重角色:具有讽刺意味的是,银行是非银行金融机构(NDFI)的主要贷款方,为其竞争对手提供资金。摩根大通向该领域的贷款从2018年到2025年增长了两倍。
  • 竞争与未来忧虑:来自银行和新进入者的竞争加剧可能导致承销标准降低。专家担忧,这个庞大、私有的市场若未来出现问题,可能比受监管的银行业更难解决。

Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/23/wall-street-private-credit-risk-rising.html

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