Corporate defaults are at their highest level in years, and it’s poised to get even worse. Here are the 5 biggest players who went broke in March

• In March, 15 companies rated by Moody's defaulted on their debt, bringing up the first quarter total to 33.
• That's the highest level since the last quarter of 2020, when 47 companies defaulted on their debt.
• The ratings giant expects junk bond defaults could rise to 4.9% by March 2024.

Corporate default rates are at the highest level in years, according to a bankruptcy report released on April 14 by ratings agency Moody's.

Widespread tech layoffs, rising interest rates, a war in Europe, and a looming recession all weighed on companies' performances in the first quarter of 2023.

In the first quarter of the year, 33 companies rated by Moody's were unable to pay their debts. That's the highest number since the last quarter of 2020, when 47 companies defaulted on their debt, the agency said in the report.

Nidhi Pandurangi | Yahoo Finance