Le net suffering which weigh on the balance sheets of Italian banks in January 2018 fell below the psychological threshold of 60 billion euros, settling at 59,3 billion euros, down on the 64,1 billion of the previous month. The figure also represents a sharp drop – minus 27,5 billion euros – compared to the December 2016 figure (86,8 billion).
This is what emerges from the monthly report of theItalian Banking Association.”In 13 months – underlines the ABI report – they have therefore decreased by over 30%. Compared to the maximum level of net non-performing loans reached in November 2015 (88,8 billion), the drop is almost 30 billion, i.e. a third”.
The net bad debts ratio up uses totals decreased in turn to 3,41% in January 2018 from 3,7% in December (it was 4,89% at the end of 2016).
Good news on the disbursement front. in January, i loans to households and non-financial corporations they grew by 1,9%. According to what can be read in the report, "the overall positive trend in total outstanding loans continued (the annual growth rate has been positive for over 2 years)". Loans to businesses also increased which, in the same reference month, rose by 1,8%, while the dynamics of loans to households grew by 2,8%. This is what the Italian Banking Association reports.
As regards the interest rates, the latter dropped to historic lows in February for loans to households and businesses and for i mortgages. In detail, interest rates on loans settled at 2,69%, against 2,70% in January; before the crisis, at the end of 2007, the rate was 6,18%. Furthermore, the average rate on mortgages fell to 1,89%, against 1,92% in January, and 5,72% at the end of 2007. Two-thirds of new mortgages, specifies the ABI, are at fixed. Rates on new business lending transactions instead rose to 1,65%, against the previous 1,45%.
