Fed's Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey: further easing of lending standards this spring

The Federal Reserve’s Senior Loan Officer survey covering the three months up to 14 April showed that banks generally eased credit conditions across loan categories this spring. Overall, the report discards that the US economy experienced a credit crunch in the spring, as was suggested by the National Association of Credit Management’s Credit Market Index, which was reported last month. Tighter lending standards seem to be confined to the oil and gas extraction sector, which was covered in a special question in the survey. The survey also asked about banks’ exposure to the sector. For the banks giving loans to the sector, more than 80 percent indicated that such lending accounted for less than 10 percent of their C&I loans outstanding.

For commercial and industrial loans overall, the net percentage of banks reporting increased demand declined and the net percentage of banks stating that they had eased lending standards decreased as well. This could very well reflect weakness related to the troubled oil and gas extraction sector.

Demand for commercial real estate loans continues to increase but on a smaller scale. Lending standards were tightened on net for multifamily real estate loans but eased on nonfarm non-residential and construction and land development loans.

For the household sector, on net, a higher percentage of banks reported increased willingness to make consumer installment loans. Lending standards continued to be eased moderately, while the fraction of banks reporting increased demand declined but remains positive.

Lending standards were also eased on residential mortgage loans, most so for prime mortgages, while standards were tightened on subprime loans. The net percentage of banks reporting stronger demand went back into positive, with strongest demand for prime loans.