|
Bank lending to non-financial corporates continued to be surprisingly strong at the start of summer despite higher rates and high economic uncertainty. A hawkish sign for the ECB
|
| Rising corporate bank lending in the eurozone is a hawkish sign for the ECB ahead of its September meeting |
|
Credit to the private sector continued to grow strongly in July. This is somewhat surprising given higher interest rates, low confidence and banks indicating tighter credit standards and weaker demand for borrowing. Nevertheless, growth for non-financial corporate bank lending accelerated from 6.8% year-on-year to 7.7% YoY in July. This sounds dramatic but is mainly due to a large base effect.
Nevertheless, month-on-month bank lending to non-financial corporates was still 0.9% in July, well above recent trend growth. Household credit growth slowed from 4.6 to 4.5%. The trend in household bank lending growth is slowing at the moment, which hints at a more immediate effect of higher interest rates.
Money growth continues to slow rapidly as the ECB has stopped quantitative easing (QE) and increased interest rates. Broad money growth (M3) fell from 5.7 to 5.5% YoY in July. The narrower estimate M1, considered to be a better leading indicator of economic activity, dropped from 7.2% YoY to 6.7% YoY growth. The tightening of the monetary stance is adding to concerns about economic growth, as signs are becoming clearer that the economy could have already started a mild recession at this point.
September ECB Meeting
For the ECB, continued strong growth in corporate bank lending could be taken as a sign that the neutral rate is still a bit away. Sliding consumer borrowing points in the other direction, but overall this is a hawkish sign ahead of the September meeting. We expect the ECB to move by another 50 basis points now before signs of a recessionary economic environment become more widespread.
|
|
| Read this article on THINK |
Tags
GDP Eurozone ECB
Disclaimer
This publication has been prepared by ING solely for information purposes irrespective of a particular user's means, financial situation or investment objectives. The information does not constitute investment recommendation, and nor is it investment, legal or tax advice or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any financial instrument. Read more
![Turbulent Q2'23 Results for [Company Name]: Strong Exports Offset Domestic Challenges](https://www.fxmag.com/media/cache/main_box_filter/uploads/articles/2022-FXMAG-COM/GPWA/gpw-s-analytical-coverage-support-programme-wse-2-6311cd4191809-2022-09-02-11-30-41-63175bda84812-2022-09-06-16-40-26.png "Warsaw Stock Exchange: Brand24 (B24) - 1Q23 financial results")
![Turbulent Q2'23 Results for [Company Name]: Strong Exports Offset Domestic Challenges](https://www.fxmag.com/media/cache/article_small_filter/uploads/articles/2022-FXMAG-COM/GPWA/gpw-s-analytical-coverage-support-programme-wse-2-6311cd4191809-2022-09-02-11-30-41-63175bda84812-2022-09-06-16-40-26.png "Warsaw Stock Exchange: Brand24 (B24) - 1Q23 financial results")
