U.S. corporate bankruptcies accelerated in July, overtaking the highs recorded during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Business Insider reported, citing data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Seventy-one large companies sought Chapter 11 protection last month, marking the heaviest one-month wave since July 2020 and underscoring mounting stress on highly leveraged businesses. The spike in filings comes even as major stock indexes hover near record highs, with analysts pointing to higher borrowing costs and persistent cost pressures as key factors eroding corporate balance-sheet resilience.