Insolvency Now (Issue 12): Navigating Uncertainty

Figure 5: BIA Business Proposals in Canada Figure 5: BIA Business Proposals in Canada

100 120 140 160

0 20 40 60 80

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

As shown in Figure 3, 2024 started with a high of 759 total business insolvencies in January, followed by a decline through the first half of the year, reaching a low of 460 business insolvencies in June. The second half of 2024 showed a mixed pattern, with a gradual recovery peaking in November at 469 insolvencies before dropping to 394 in the December holiday season. The total number of business insolvencies mirror the trends observed in individual categories of bankruptcy proposals and bankruptcies (see Figures 4 and 5). In total, 2024 had 6,188 business insolvency filings. Compared with a total of 4,810 filings and 3,402 filings in 2023 and 2022, respectively, the 2024 volume of filings represents a 28.6% and 81.9% increase over 2023 and 2022, respectively. In 2024, monthly filings averaged 516, whereas in each of 2023 and 2022, the filings averaged 401 and 284, respectively. We observed relatively more variability in businesses’ choice to pursue bankruptcy proposals rather than bankruptcy filings. This variability may have been the result of increased market uncertainty, which in turn affected the ability of debtors to negotiate terms with creditors, to plan for refinancing or debt consolidation, or to finalize restructuring arrangements at the appropriate time. An uptick in business proposals in Q3 2024 could suggest that debtors saw Q3 as presenting a relatively more favourable window of market or economic conditions over the year to restructure debt obligations.

5

Davies Insolvency Now: Issue 12

Powered by