Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

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Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices at Selected Branches and Agencies of Foreign Banks in the United States ¹

(Status of Policy as of April 2019)

Questions 1-6 ask about commercial and industrial (C&I) loans at your bank. Questions 1-3 deal with changes in your bank's lending policies over the past three months. Questions 4-5 deal with changes in demand for C&I loans over the past three months. Question 6 asks about changes in prospective demand for C&I loans at your bank, as indicated by the volume of recent inquiries about the availability of new credit lines or increases in existing lines. If your bank's lending policies have not changed over the past three months, please report them as unchanged even if the policies are either restrictive or accommodative relative to longer-term norms. If your bank's policies have tightened or eased over the past three months, please so report them regardless of how they stand relative to longer-term norms. Also, please report changes in enforcement of existing policies as changes in policies.

1. Over the past three months, how have your bank's credit standards for approving applications for C&I loans or credit lines—other than those to be used to finance mergers and acquisitions—changed?

2. For applications for C&I loans or credit lines—other than those to be used to finance mergers and acquisitions—that your bank currently is willing to approve, how have the terms of those loans changed over the past three months?

 

3. If your bank has tightened or eased its credit standards or its terms for C&I loans or credit lines over the past three months (as described in questions 1 and 2), how important have been the following possible reasons for the change? (Please respond to either A, B, or both as appropriate.)

A. Possible reasons for tightening credit standards or loan terms:

a. Deterioration in your bank's current or expected capital position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. Less favorable or more uncertain economic outlook

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. Worsening of industry-specific problems (please specify industries)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. Less aggressive competition from other banks or nonbank lenders (other financial intermediaries or the capital markets)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Reduced tolerance for risk

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Decreased liquidity in the secondary market for these loans

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Deterioration in your bank's current or expected liquidity position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

h. Increased concerns about the effects of legislative changes, supervisory actions, or changes in accounting standards

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

B. Possible reasons for easing credit standards or loan terms:

a. Improvement in your bank's current or expected capital position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. More favorable or less uncertain economic outlook

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. Improvement in industry-specific problems (please specify industries)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. More aggressive competition from other banks or nonbank lenders (other financial intermediaries or the capital markets)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Increased tolerance for risk

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Increased liquidity in the secondary market for these loans

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Improvement in your bank's current or expected liquidity position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

h. Reduced concerns about the effects of legislative changes, supervisory actions, or changes in accounting standards

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

4. Apart from normal seasonal variation, how has demand for C&I loans changed over the past three months? (Please consider only funds actually disbursed as opposed to requests for new or increased lines of credit.)

5. If demand for C&I loans has strengthened or weakened over the past three months (as described in question 4), how important have been the following possible reasons for the change? (Please respond to either A, B, or both as appropriate.)

A. If stronger loan demand (answer 1 or 2 to question 4), possible reasons:

a. Customer inventory financing needs increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. Customer accounts receivable financing needs increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. Customer investment in plant or equipment increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. Customer internally generated funds decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Customer merger or acquisition financing needs increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Customer borrowing shifted to your bank from other bank or nonbank sources because these other sources became less attractive

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Customer precautionary demand for cash and liquidity increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

B. If weaker loan demand (answer 4 or 5 to question 4), possible reasons:

a. Customer inventory financing needs decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. Customer accounts receivable financing needs decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. Customer investment in plant or equipment decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. Customer internally generated funds increased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Customer merger or acquisition financing needs decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Customer borrowing shifted from your bank to other bank or nonbank sources because these other sources became more attractive

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Customer precautionary demand for cash and liquidity decreased

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

6. At your bank, apart from seasonal variation, how has the number of inquiries from potential business borrowers regarding the availability and terms of new credit lines or increases in existing lines changed over the past three months? (Please consider only inquiries for additional or increased C&I lines as opposed to the refinancing of existing loans.)

Questions 7-8 ask about commercial real estate (CRE) loans at your bank, including construction and land development loans and loans secured by nonfarm nonresidential properties. Question 7 deals with changes in your bank's standards over the past three months. Question 8 deals with changes in demand. If your bank's lending standards or terms have not changed over the relevant period, please report them as unchanged even if they are either restrictive or accommodative relative to longer-term norms. If your bank's standards or terms have tightened or eased over the relevant period, please so report them regardless of how they stand relative to longer-term norms. Also, please report changes in enforcement of existing standards as changes in standards.

7. Over the past three months, how have your bank's credit standards for approving applications for CRE loans or credit lines changed?

8. Apart from normal seasonal variation, how has demand for CRE loans or credit lines changed over the past three months? (Please consider the number of requests for new spot loans, for disbursement of funds under existing loan commitments, and for new or increased credit lines.)

Questions 9-12 ask how your bank has changed its lending policies over the past year for three different types of commercial real estate (CRE) loans: construction and land development loans, loans secured by nonfarm nonresidential properties, and loans secured by multifamily residential properties. Question 13 deals with changes in demand for CRE loans over the past year.

9. Over the past year, how has your bank changed the following policies on construction and land development loans?

For this question, 13 respondents answered "My bank does not originate construction and land development loans."

10. Over the past year, how has your bank changed the following policies on loans secured by nonfarm-nonresidential properties?

For this question, 9 respondents answered "My bank does not originate nonfarm-nonresidential loans."

11. Over the past year, how has your bank changed the following policies on loans secured by multifamily residential properties?

For this question, 8 respondents answered "My bank does not originate multifamliy loans."

12. If your bank has tightened or eased its credit policies for CRE loans over the past year (as described in questions 9-11 above), how important have been the following possible reasons for the change?

A. Possible reasons for tightening credit policies on CRE loans over the past year (where tightening corresponds to answers 1 or 2 in questions 9-11 above):

a. Less favorable or more uncertain outlook for CRE property prices

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. Less favorable or more uncertain capitalization rates (the ratio of current net operating income to the original sale price or current market value) on CRE properties

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. Less favorable or more uncertain outlook for vacancy rates or other fundamentals on CRE properties

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. Less aggressive competition from other banks or nonbank financial institutions (other financial intermediaries or the capital markets)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Reduced tolerance for risk

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Decreased ability to securitize CRE loans

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Increased concerns about my bank’s capital adequacy or liquidity position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

h. Increased concerns about the effects of regulatory changes or supervisory actions

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

B. Possible reasons for easing credit policies on CRE loans over the past year (where easing corresponds to answers 4 or 5 in questions 9-11 above):

a. More favorable or less uncertain outlook for CRE property prices

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

b. More favorable or less uncertain capitalization rates (the ratio of current net operating income to the original sale price or current market value) on CRE properties

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

c. More favorable or less uncertain outlook for vacancy rates or other fundamentals on CRE properties

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

d. More aggressive competition from other banks or nonbank financial institutions (other financial intermediaries or the capital markets)

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

e. Increased tolerance for risk

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

f. Increased ability to securitize CRE loans

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

g. Reduced concerns about my bank’s capital adequacy or liquidity position

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

h. Reduced concerns about the effects of regulatory changes or supervisory actions

Responses are not reported when the number of respondents is 3 or fewer.

13. If demand for CRE loans from your bank has strengthened or weakened over the past year, how important have been the following possible reasons for the change?

A. Possible reasons for stronger CRE loan demand over the past year:

B. Possible reasons for weaker CRE loan demand over the past year:

Over the past year, developments in Asia and Europe may have affected lending conditions for nonfinancial firms with operations in the United States and with significant exposure to these regions. Question 14 asks you to indicate what fraction of C&I loans held on your bank's books were made to such firms. Questions 15 and 16 ask about your bank's outlook for delinquencies and charge-offs on loans to exposed firms and about changes in lending policies made by your bank over the past year to mitigate risks of loan losses from exposed firms. Question 17 asks about how developments in Asia and Europe may have affected loan demand from exposed firms.
In answering these questions, please consider your bank's C&I lending to exposed non-financial firms, including: firms operating in the United States with headquarters in Asia or Europe; and U.S. firms conducting a significant portion of their business with Asian or European firms or households, for example due to trade.

14. Approximately what fraction of outstanding C&I loans or lines of credit on your bank's books were made to nonfinancial firms with operations in the United States and significant exposure to developments in Asia or Europe?

15. Assuming that economic activity progresses in line with consensus forecasts, what is your outlook for delinquencies and charge-offs on your bank's existing loans to exposed firms over the remainder of 2019?

16. If your bank has taken steps to mitigate risk of loan losses from firms with operations in the United States and significant exposure to developments in Asia or Europe over the past year, please indicate how important each of the following actions have been for your bank.

17. Over the past year, how has demand for loans at your bank from firms with operations in the United States and significant exposure to developments in Asia or Europe changed?

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