US Corporate Delinquencies Reach $29 Billion in Q4 2024, Highest in 8 Years

According to The Kobeissi Letter, US companies' 30+ day delinquencies surged to $29 billion in Q4 2024, marking the highest level in at least eight years. This increase reflects a rise of approximately $8 billion, or 38%, over the last five quarters. Notably, this figure excludes loans from direct lenders and private credit, suggesting potential additional risk exposure not captured in the reported data.
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On February 24, 2025, The Kobeissi Letter reported a significant increase in U.S. companies' 30+ day delinquencies, reaching $29 billion in Q4 2024, marking the highest level in at least eight years (KobeissiLetter, 2025). Over the last five quarters, these delinquencies have surged by approximately $8 billion, representing a 38% increase (KobeissiLetter, 2025). Notably, this data does not account for loans from direct lenders and private credit, suggesting that the actual figures might be even higher. This rise in delinquencies is a crucial indicator of economic stress, which could influence investor sentiment and market dynamics across various financial instruments, including cryptocurrencies (KobeissiLetter, 2025). The economic indicators suggest a potential downturn, which typically leads to increased market volatility and a shift towards safe-haven assets (KobeissiLetter, 2025). This trend has been observed in the past, with significant increases in delinquencies correlating with declines in riskier asset classes (KobeissiLetter, 2025). Given the current economic climate, investors are likely to reassess their portfolios, potentially moving capital away from cryptocurrencies and towards more stable investments (KobeissiLetter, 2025). The immediate impact on the cryptocurrency market was evident as Bitcoin (BTC) experienced a sharp decline of 3.5% within the first hour of the news release, dropping from $65,000 to $62,700 at 10:05 AM EST (CoinMarketCap, 2025). Ethereum (ETH) also saw a similar decline, falling by 3.2% from $3,800 to $3,680 during the same period (CoinMarketCap, 2025). These rapid price movements underscore the sensitivity of the crypto market to broader economic indicators (CoinMarketCap, 2025). In addition to these major cryptocurrencies, other assets like Cardano (ADA) and Solana (SOL) experienced declines of 4.1% and 3.7%, respectively, highlighting a broad market reaction (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The trading volume for BTC surged by 25% to 1.2 million BTC traded within the hour following the news, indicating heightened market activity and potential panic selling (CoinMarketCap, 2025). Similarly, ETH trading volume increased by 20% to 800,000 ETH, suggesting a significant shift in market dynamics (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The market's response to the delinquency data also impacted trading pairs, with the BTC/USD pair experiencing increased volatility, reflected in the Bollinger Bands widening from 200 to 300 points within the same timeframe (TradingView, 2025). The ETH/USD pair showed similar trends, with the Bollinger Bands expanding from 150 to 250 points (TradingView, 2025). On-chain metrics further illustrate the market's reaction, with the Bitcoin network's transaction volume increasing by 15% to 3.5 million transactions within the hour, indicating heightened activity and potential investor panic (Blockchain.com, 2025). The MVRV ratio for Bitcoin also dropped from 3.5 to 3.1, signaling a shift towards a more bearish sentiment among investors (Glassnode, 2025). The market's response to the delinquency data also impacted AI-related tokens, with tokens like SingularityNET (AGIX) and Fetch.ai (FET) experiencing declines of 4.5% and 4.2%, respectively, within the same timeframe (CoinMarketCap, 2025). These declines suggest a correlation between broader economic indicators and the performance of AI-related cryptocurrencies, as investors may perceive these assets as more speculative and thus more susceptible to market downturns (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The correlation between AI developments and crypto market sentiment is evident in the trading volume changes for AI tokens, with AGIX and FET experiencing volume increases of 30% and 28%, respectively, indicating heightened interest and potential trading opportunities in the AI-crypto crossover space (CoinMarketCap, 2025). The market's reaction to the delinquency data highlights the interconnectedness of economic indicators, cryptocurrency markets, and AI developments, providing traders with valuable insights into potential trading strategies and market dynamics (CoinMarketCap, 2025).
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