US DATA: Jan Fed sr loan officer survey “indicated that a modest
net fraction of banks continued to ease standards and terms for C&I
loans over the Q4 while banks reported small mixed changes in their
lending policies for other types of loans to businesses and households.
Similarly, the respondents reported a moderate increase in demand for
C&I loans but little change, on balance, in demand for other types of
loans. Regarding loans to businesses, survey respondents, particularly
large banks, reported having eased standards and most terms on C&I
loans, especially to large and middle-market firms. Banks mainly
pointed to a more favorable or less uncertain economic outlook and
increased competition from other banks or nonbank lenders as reasons for
easing. By contrast, standards on CRE loans were reportedly about unch.”