Private Credit Flows and Shadow Banking Trends Indicate Anticipated Outperformance and Restructuring Activity in 2026

Over the past 72 hours, private credit market headwinds such as decreasing base rates and tighter spreads persist into 2026, favoring specialist lenders with competitive advantages. Shadow banking expansion and rising distressed transactions are also highlighted as key trends shaping the outlook for digital assets and macro risk.

Key signals include increased credit stress and dispersion among private credit strategies, alongside an expected rise in distressed sales post-2025 LME expirations. Rising maturities of speculative debt in 2028 and private credit premiums over liquid and public credit further inform the current environment.

Specialist private credit strategies, particularly in less crowded asset-backed lending, are seen as offering significant absolute return potential amid constrained bank lending. Private credit returns continue to support inflows with premiums of 200-400 basis points over liquid credit, and direct lending has demonstrated resilience with average returns of 11.6% since 2008.

Interest coverage ratios in private credit have declined to 2.0x, signaling rising default pressure, while private credit losses remain low at 0.4% for senior direct lending, contrasting with higher loss rates in leveraged loans and high-yield bonds. Bank exposure to NBFIs, including private credit, approaches 10% of loans, raising stress concerns amid increased shadow banking activity.

Private debt’s role in commercial real estate (CRE) involves assertive loan-to-own strategies, as bank lending growth remains modest at 2.5-3% year-over-year, potentially impacting overall market stability and infrastructure scaling.

The dataset does not specify margin levels or detailed liquidity breakdowns, and uncertainties remain regarding the efficacy of LME-related restructuring tactics and the full impact of bank NBFI exposure on systemic risk.

OSINT does not include detailed margin levels or forward guidance beyond these figures, and the precise impact of shadow banking expansion on systemic liquidity remains uncertain.

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