Zombie-themed movies and TV shows are very popular, so you probably know the pattern.

Many things look normal. People go to work. Stores are open. Life goes on.

But underneath the surface, something is wrong.

The infected are still walking around… still functioning… still blending in.

Until suddenly, they’re not.

The same is true of some companies. From the outside, everything looks normal, but they are rotting away on the inside.

For years, Sears looked like a company that was still humming along.

And technically, it was. The stores were open. The stock still traded. Management kept promising a turnaround.

But in reality, the business was being kept alive by asset sales, financial engineering and borrowed time.

That is what I call a “zombie company.”

And if I’m right about what’s happening in private credit, investors may suddenly discover there are more of them out there than they realized.

In recent essays, I’ve explained how the private credit market grew into a $3 trillion shadow banking system, how investors may be able to profit from a coming flight to quality – and why June 30 could become a potential day of reckoning for this whole mess.

Why June 30? Because that’s when many private credit vehicles will be forced to update investors on what their holdings are really worth. And if some of those loans have been kept afloat by extensions, restructurings and wishful thinking, then this could be the moment when a lot of that hidden stress bubbles straight to the surface.

Today, I want to focus on what that could mean for investors’ portfolios.

Because if this private credit story keeps unfolding, some stocks are going to be a lot more vulnerable than others.

And believe me, you don’t want to be caught owning one of them if the private credit bubble begins to burst.

The “Zombie” Companies

A zombie company is not always obvious at first glance.

On the surface, it may look like a normal, functioning business. Revenue may still be coming in. Management may still be talking confidently. Wall Street may still be giving it the benefit of the doubt.

But underneath the surface, the story is very different.

These are companies that have been kept alive by easy money, cheap refinancing and constant access to credit. They do not really stand on their own. They depend on lenders continuing to extend terms, roll over debt and keep the game going.

That worked for a long time.

But now the environment has changed.

Roughly 80% of private credit loans are floating-rate, meaning they are at the mercy of prevailing interest rates.

That’s a problem, because borrowers’ interest costs have surged as rates have climbed.

In many cases, loans that once carried 4%-5% interest are now costing 12%-15%. That’s a massive jump, and it’s putting serious strain on already leveraged companies.

Now, to get the full details on what’s happening in private credit – and what I believe investors should do to protect themselves – you can learn more in my full presentation here.

In the meantime, in the next part of my interview series with InvestorPlace Editor-in-Chief Luis Hernandez, I explain why some so-called “zombie” stocks could be especially vulnerable if the private credit story keeps unfolding… and what investors should be watching for now.

Click the play button on the image below to watch my conversation with Luis.

Are You Holding One of Them?

Here is the part that matters most.

This is not just a story about private credit funds or some hidden corner of Wall Street.

It is also a story about the public companies that depended on that easy-money system to survive.

Some are directly tied to private credit.

Others simply share the same warning signs: deteriorating fundamentals, mounting debt, weakening institutional support and business models that may not hold up well if financing conditions get tougher.

That is why I created a special report called: The Shadow Banking Blacklist.

In it, I identify 10 stocks I believe investors should be especially cautious about right now.

These are the names my system says look particularly vulnerable if the private credit cracks continue to spread. And if you own any of them, I believe you need to know before the rest of Wall Street catches on.

In my full presentation, I explain why I believe these “zombie” companies could be in serious trouble if credit conditions keep tightening. And I also show you where I believe investors may want to reposition as money begins moving toward higher-quality businesses.

If you want to get more details on the 10 stocks I’m most concerned about right now – and learn what I believe investors should do next – I strongly encourage you to watch my full presentation now.

Sincerely,

Louis Navellier

Editor, Market 360