The offer policies for loans to businesses in the third quarter remain restrictive, but are launching some timid signs of improvement which should consolidate in the current quarter. This was revealed by the section relating to our country of the survey on bank lending in the euro area conducted by Bank of Italy.
According to Palazzo Koch, the restriction on the terms and conditions of loans to households for the purchase of homes is coming to an end, by virtue of less unfavorable expectations on economic activity in general and on the real estate market. For the current quarter, intermediaries expect moderately expansive offer policies.
In the third quarter, in any case, the demand for loans remained weak, both for businesses, slowed down in investments, and for households, due to the still uncertain prospects of the real estate market. In the fourth quarter, however, the demand for mortgages for house purchase should increase significantly, reversing the trend that began in 2010.
The data released today by the president of ABI Antonio Patuelli, during a speech on World Savings Day, completes the picture of bank credit. Estimates by the Italian Banking Association speak of around 1,2 million non-performing customers for our institutions, including households and businesses. According to Patuelli, it is "a gigantic number, a mass social phenomenon in which it is also highlighted that, of these, 982 have non-performing debts for amounts of less than 125 euros".
