The October 2006 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey
on Bank Lending Practices

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Table 1 | Table 2 | Chart data
Table 1 (68 KB PDF) | Table 2 (32 KB PDF) | Charts (15 KB PDF)

The October 2006 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices addressed changes in the supply of, and demand for, bank loans to businesses and households over the past three months. Special questions in the survey queried banks about the extent to which the recent strength in commercial and industrial lending reflected a surge in loans to fund merger and acquisition activity. This article is based on responses from fifty-five domestic banks and seventeen foreign banking institutions.

Overall, the respondents noted mixed changes in lending standards and terms over the past three months, while demand for most loan types reportedly declined somewhat. Both domestic and foreign institutions indicated that they had eased lending terms on commercial and industrial (C&I) loans over the previous three months, while credit standards on such loans had changed little. Domestic banks, however, reported that they had tightened lending standards on commercial real estate loans over the previous three months. Demand for C&I loans at domestic institutions was reportedly little changed in the October survey, while demand for commercial real estate loans at these institutions weakened over the past three months. In the household sector, respondents generally reported no change in credit standards on residential mortgage loans over the survey period, while demand for such loans continued to weaken. Standards and terms on credit card and non-credit-card consumer loans were also little changed, but a considerable net fraction of domestic institutions indicated that they had experienced weaker demand for consumer loans over the previous three months.

C&I Lending
(Table 1, questions 1-16; Table 2, questions 1-16) 

In the October survey, domestic institutions reported that credit standards on C&I loans to large and middle-market firms were unchanged, on net, over the past three months. On balance, however, domestic respondents indicated that they had further eased terms on C&I loans to such firms over the same period. Almost one-third of respondents—a somewhat smaller net fraction than in the July survey—noted that they had trimmed spreads of loan rates over their cost of funds over the past three months, while nearly one-fifth of banks—about the same net percentage as in the previous survey—reported that they had reduced the costs of credit lines. About 15 percent of domestic respondents, on net, indicated that they had eased loan covenants.

Credit standards on C&I loans to small firms were also reportedly little changed, on net, in the October survey. However, one-third of domestic institutions, on balance, indicated that they had trimmed spreads of loan rates over their cost of funds over the previous three months, and nearly one-fifth of respondents noted that they had reduced the costs of credit lines.

At U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, only two institutions reported that they had eased their standards on C&I loans during the survey period. Considerable net fractions of these institutions, however, indicated that they had trimmed spreads of loan rates over their cost of funds and reduced the cost of credit lines.

All domestic and foreign respondents that reported having eased their lending standards or terms in the October survey pointed to more-aggressive competition from other banks or nonbank lenders as the most important reason for having done so. Notable net fractions of domestic institutions also cited increased liquidity in the secondary market for these loans, a more favorable or less uncertain economic outlook, and a reduction in defaults by borrowers in public debt markets as reasons for having eased credit standards or terms on C&I loans.

At domestic banks, demand for C&I loans from large and middle-market firms was reportedly little changed, on balance, in the October survey. About 15 percent of these institutions, on net, indicated that they had experienced weaker demand for such loans from small firms over the previous three months. At U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, nearly one-fifth of respondents, on balance, reported that they had seen weaker demand for C&I loans over the same period. All of the domestic institutions that experienced weaker demand for C&I loans attributed the softening, in part, to borrowers' decreased needs to finance investment in plant or equipment. Considerable fractions of respondents also cited borrowers' decreased financing needs for inventories and accounts receivable, as well as increases in customers' internally generated funds, as reasons for weaker loan demand. Among domestic banks that saw stronger demand for C&I loans, three-fourths pointed to a rise in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity as a reason for stronger loan demand, while two-thirds cited borrowers' increased needs to finance inventories.

Regarding future business, about 10 percent of domestic institutions, on net, and nearly 20 percent of foreign respondents reported that the number of inquiries from potential business borrowers had decreased moderately over the previous three months.

The October survey included a set of special questions about the extent to which the recent strength in C&I lending has reflected a surge in loans to fund M&A activity.¹ Holdings of C&I loans originated for M&A-related purposes were generally small for the respondent banks.² About one-half of domestic institutions indicated that M&A-related C&I loans accounted for less than 5 percent of the loans currently on their books, and roughly one-third of banks noted that such loans accounted for between 5 percent and 10 percent of their loans. The remainder of banks—except for one institution—reported a share that was between 11 percent and 30 percent.³ On average, those banks with larger C&I loan portfolios had higher M&A loan concentrations. As a result, when the responses are weighted by the dollar volume of C&I loans at the end of the second quarter, banks that reported an M&A share of less than 5 percent accounted for only about one-third of all C&I loans on the books of banks responding to this special question. At U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, more than one-half of respondents indicated that the share of M&A-related C&I loans was 10 percent or less, while almost one-third noted that the share was between 11 percent and 20 percent. The remainder of foreign banks reported a share that was between 21 percent and 40 percent. In contrast to the domestic banks, foreign banks with larger C&I loan portfolios had somewhat smaller M&A loan concentration on average: Foreign institutions that reported an M&A share of 10 percent or less accounted for 65 percent of all C&I loans on the books of respondent institutions.

Nearly one-half of domestic respondents and 60 percent of foreign respondents, on balance, reported that the share of M&A-related C&I loans on their books had increased over the past twelve months. These institutions accounted for 70 percent and about 85 percent, respectively, of loans outstanding at the end of the second quarter.

Among the domestic institutions that experienced an increase in the share of M&A-related C&I loans over the past twelve months, about one-third indicated that this increase reflected to a moderate extent a shift of funding for M&A activity to banks as a result of a reduction in the relative attractiveness of bond finance. Eighty percent of these institutions pointed to relatively more favorable nonprice terms as a reason for the shift of M&A financing out of the bond market, while 60 percent pointed to relatively more favorable pricing in the loan market. Only two of the foreign respondents that experienced an increase in the share of M&A-related C&I loans pointed to a shift of funding for M&A activity from the bond market to banks as a reason for the increase.

Domestic respondents generally reported that the share of M&A-related C&I loans on their books that were used to finance leveraged buyouts was fairly small. Roughly three-fourths of institutions indicated that this share was less than or equal to 10 percent, and only about one-tenth of domestic banks reported that this share was between 51 percent and 75 percent..⁴ These fractions are roughly similar if the responses are weighted by the respondents' C&I loans. The shares of C&I loans accounted for by leveraged buyouts were larger on average at the U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks. Nonetheless, about one-half of the foreign respondents reported that the share was less than or equal to 10 percent, and nearly one-third of respondents indicated that the share was between 11 percent and 50 percent..⁵ On average, foreign respondents with larger C&I loan portfolios had somewhat larger fractions of their M&A-related loans devoted to leveraged buyouts.

Domestic respondents generally reported that the share of M&A-related C&I loans on their books that were bridge loans was quite small: Ninety percent of domestic institutions reported that this share was less than or equal to 10 percent..⁶ Again, these shares were higher at U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks, where about two-thirds of respondents indicated that the share of such loans was 10 percent or less, while nearly one-third of respondents noted that this share was between 11 percent and 50 percent.

On balance, about 15 percent of domestic institutions reported that they had tightened credit standards for approving applications for M&A-related C&I loans or credit lines over the past twelve months. These respondents, however, indicated that they had eased some terms on such loans or credit lines over the same period: Nearly one-third of domestic respondents, on net, indicated that they had trimmed spreads of loan rates over their cost of funds, and 15 percent noted that they had reduced the costs of credit lines. In contrast to their domestic counterparts, about one-fourth of the foreign institutions reported that they had eased credit standards for approving applications for M&A-related C&I loans or credit lines over the past twelve months. Significant net fractions of foreign respondents also indicated that they had increased the maximum size of loans or credit lines, reduced the costs of credit lines, and eased loan covenants.

About one-fourth of domestic respondents indicated that they anticipate that the quality of M&A-related C&I loans currently on their books will deteriorate over the next twelve months, and the rest expect that loan quality will likely stabilize around current levels. A somewhat larger net fraction of domestic respondents—about 35 percent—reported that they expect the quality of their C&I loans that were not used to finance M&A activity to deteriorate over the same period..⁷ However, when the responses to these two special questions are weighted by the dollar volume of C&I loans at the end of the second quarter, the institutions that anticipate a deterioration in the credit quality accounted for about 45 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of all C&I loans held by respondent banks. At foreign institutions, 35 percent of respondents indicated that they anticipate that the quality of M&A-related C&I loans currently on their books will deteriorate over the next twelve months, while 30 percent indicated that they expect that the quality of their C&I loans that were not used to finance M&A activity will deteriorate over the same period. These shares are broadly similar if the responses are weighted by the respondents' C&I loans outstanding.

Commercial Real Estate Lending
(Table 1, questions 17-18; Table 2, questions 17-18)

Nearly 40 percent of domestic institutions—a notably larger net fraction than in the July survey—indicated that they had tightened lending standards on commercial real estate loans over the previous three months. More than one-fourth of domestic respondents—also a larger net percentage than in the previous survey—reported that they had experienced weaker demand for such loans over the same period. By contrast, both lending standards and demand for commercial real estate loans at foreign institutions were little changed in the October survey.

Lending to Households
(Table 1, questions 19-26) 

Domestic banks reported that credit standards on residential mortgage loans were little changed, on net, over the past three months. Demand for residential mortgage loans weakened further in the October survey: Sixty percent of domestic institutions—roughly the same net fraction as in the July survey—noted that demand for such loans had weakened over the previous three months.

Domestic respondents indicated that their willingness to make consumer installment loans was about unchanged in the October survey. On net, standards and terms on credit card and non-credit-card consumer loans changed little over the past three months. About 45 percent of domestic respondents reported that they had experienced weaker demand for consumer loans, a somewhat larger net fraction than in the July survey.

¹ The number of domestic banks that responded to these special questions varied from ten to fifty-four depending on the question. According to second-quarter Call Reports, these respondents accounted for between 12 percent and 56 percent of all C&I loans on the books of domestic commercial banks as of June 30, 2006. The number of foreign institutions that responded to these special questions varied from two to seventeen depending on the question. As of June 30, 2006, the foreign respondents accounted for between 10 percent and 48 percent of all C&I loans on the books of U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks.