Credit Risk Surges as Investors Fear Bank Failures Threaten Markets

Credit Risk Surges as Investors Fear Bank Failures Threaten Markets
A logo at the Silicon Valley Bank branch office in downtown San Francisco on March 13, 2023. Kori Suzuki/Reuters
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NEW YORK—Credit risk indicators flashed red on Monday, as investors worried about contagion risks across corporate debt markets after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and New York’s Signature Bank in the space of 72 hours.

An index of credit default swaps (CDS) on U.S. investment-grade companies rose to 90.2 basis points, its highest since November, after U.S. action to guarantee deposits at tech-focused lender SVB failed to reassure investors that other banks remain financially sound.