Bankrupt Car Wash Exposes Flaws in Private Credit Valuations

WATCH: Private equity plays a significant role in the $14 billion US car-wash industry.Source: Bloomberg

One fund marked it at 93 cents on the dollar. Another had it at 94 cents. A couple more kept it as high as 95 cents.

On paper, private credit firms appeared optimistic about a $654 million loan they had provided to Zips Car Wash. Those valuations, at the end of September, implied a strong chance the debt would be repaid in full.