According to data released by Bank of Italy, in the fourth quarter of 2012, “il degree of restriction of loan supply policies to businesses by Italian banks has eased, reaching the lowest level recorded since the first quarter of 2011". The Survey reveals, however, that the demand for credit by businesses remains weak, reflecting the risks associated with the economic outlook.
Opposite speech for credit to households: in fact, mortgage offer policies show "moderate stiffness which reflected the worsening prospects for economic activity and the real estate market". Intermediaries, on the other hand, reported a moderate improvement in their access conditions to wholesale markets in the fourth quarter.
The data from Bankitalia's analysis are results in line with those of the Eurozone. Even in the euro area, in fact, the tightening of bank credit has eased for businesses, worsening for households, as emerges from the quarterly survey of the European Central Bank.
The net share of banks that, in the fourth quarter of 2012, reported tightening of lending standards for businesses was on a share of 13%, against 15% in the third quarter. The number of banks that reported tightening, therefore, exceeded by 13 percent those that, on the contrary, reported easing or status quo.
Opposite speech for loans to households. Again according to the ECB, in fact, the net share of banks that reported tightening on the granting of mortgages to households rose from 13% in the previous quarter to 18%, while for consumer credit the tightening rose from 3% to 9 % in the fourth quarter.
