US Bank Business Loans Down $800 Million In Latest Week

Published February 17, 2012/Dow Jones Newswires

WASHINGTON – U.S. banks' commercial and industrial loans decreased $800 million to about $1.367 trillion in the week ended Feb. 8, the latest week for which data are available, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

That followed a $14.2 billion increase the previous week.

Jumbo certificates of deposit rose $8.0 billion to about $1.516 trillion in the latest weekly data, after falling $4.6 billion the previous week. Revolving home equity loans fell $800 million to $551.5 billion after rising $5.1 billion the previous week.

More weekly Fed statistics on the banks' assets and liabilities will be available on the Internet at: www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h8/Current

Fed Says Business-Loan Demand Climbed Last Quarter as Economy Accelerated

Bloomberg

By Joshua Zumbrun - Jan 30, 2012 2:01 PM CT

Demand for business loans increased in the fourth quarter as economic growth accelerated, according to a Federal Reserve survey of senior loan officers at banks.

Seventeen of 56 banks reported stronger demand among companies with $50 million in annual sales or more, according to the survey released today in Washington, while six reported weaker demand. Demand among small businesses for loans increased by the most in any quarter since 2005.

business

Article by: JANET MOORE , Star Tribune

Updated: January 30, 2012 - 10:27 PM

The commercial real estate market in the Twin Cities is showing small, but meaningful, signs of recovery as vacancy rates in most types of properties declined in 2011, according to a report released Monday by Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq Real Estate Services.

The survey of office, industrial and retail projects found a market-wide direct vacancy rate of 15.2 percent -- not optimal, but still reversing a three-year slide from 11.5 percent in 2007 to 15.9 percent in 2010. Across all property types, the rate last year was 17.6 percent.

"Clearly we're seeing a reversal of some negative trends," said Mike Ohmes, executive vice president for transaction and advisory services at the Bloomington-based real estate firm. He cautioned that it will take several years of robust growth before the commercial real estate market become healthy and stable again.