In January i bad loans in the portfolio of Italian banks, gross of write-downs, reached 185,5 billion, recording an increase of 25 billion compared to January 2014. TheAbi in its latest monthly report, specifying that the ratio between loans and non-performing loans is equal to 9,7%, the highest value since 1996. Before the crisis, at the end of 2007, it was 2,8%. For businesses alone, this value rises to 16,3% (against 13,4% a year earlier). Net non-performing loans, on the other hand, fell to 81,2 billion in January, from 84,5 billion in December.
According to the deputy general manager of the Palazzo Altieri association, Gianfranco Torriero, gross non-performing loans will only fall again "a few quarters" after the restart of Italian GDP growth, estimated by Istat for the first quarter of this year. With regard to non-performing loans, the ABI also signals the first "weak signs of attenuation" of the phenomenon.
I bank loans to households and businesses, on the other hand, fell again in February, but according to the ABI, there are positive signs in this case as well. The first is the slowdown in the negative trend (-1,43%, after -1,53% in January and -3,91% in February last year). Then there is the figure for new loans to businesses, which recorded a +4% in terms of cumulative value for the quarter November 2014-January 2015 compared to the same period of the previous year. The new mortgages in the same period they rose annually by more than 35%, while new consumer credit transactions showed growth of 8,1%.
Also in February, total jobs (all private sector and public administration) amounted to 1.821 billion, down by 1,42%. The report also shows a drop in bank funding of approximately 16,2 billion on an annual basis (-1%). Funding by banks from customers resident in Italy amounted to 1.701 billion. Deposits from resident customers recorded a +4,3% in February, while bonds fell by 13,5%, with a decrease in absolute value over the year of 68,5, XNUMX billion, reflecting the difficulties of medium-long term funding.
Finally, rates for new loans to businesses are estimated at 2,54% from 2,45% in January. On the other hand, the decline in rates on loans for households' home loans continues: to an average of 2,78% according to the ABI estimate, from an average of 2,82% in January.
