The Ranks of Corporate Zombies Are Growing: Credit Weekly

As Halloween monsters of all stripes flood neighborhoods in search of candy and parties this weekend, credit markets are seeing the resurgence of a different type of zombie.

The tally of “zombie companies” in the US that aren’t earning enough to cover their interest expenses stands at the highest since early 2022, with almost 100 gaining the designation in October. The main reason: Companies that gorged on debt at near-zero interest rates in the pandemic era have since been hurt by tariffs and higher funding costs.

The odds of getting much relief on either front aren’t improving, with the US ...