The funding costs of euro area banks continued to increase in February, reflecting movements in market rates and higher deposit rates. Banks’ repayments of funds borrowed under the third series of targeted longer-term refinancing operations (TLTRO III) also contributed to higher bank funding costs. Bank lending rates for firms and households rose further, reflecting the increases in the key ECB interest rates. Banks reported a strong decrease in loan demand from firms and households in the first quarter of 2023. Furthermore, banks expect that the ECB’s non-standard monetary policy measures will contribute to weakening lending dynamics due to their effect on banks’ funding and liquidity positions. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/economic-bulletin/...2303.en.html#toc13 According to the April 2023 euro area bank lending survey, credit standards for loans to firms and to households for house purchase showed a further substantial tightening in the first quarter of 2023, pointing to a persistent weakening of loan dynamics https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/...vey/html/index.en.html
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