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Euro area credit growth slowed in March, but Q1 very strong overall

Summary:
Macroview Bank lending grew at a record pace in Q1, in spite of challenging environment for banks Read the full report here The expansion of bank credit to euro area non-financial corporations slowed in March, to EUR 1bn compared with a rise of EUR 24bn in January and EUR 19bn in February. By contrast, credit to households continued to increase at a decent pace in March and was slightly stronger than in previous months. Although credit flows eased in March, the three-month moving average reached a record high in the first quarter overall, in spite of a very challenging quarter for banks in credit and equity markets. Meanwhile, the annual rate of expansion of broad money supply (M3) was roughly stable. The three-month average for M3 growth from January to March stood at 5.0%. All in all, the latest credit data and leading indicators, such as April’s Bank Lending Survey (BLS), remain consistent with ongoing credit growth and strong domestic demand in the first half of 2016, supporting our above-consensus forecast for euro area real GDP growth of 1.8% for 2016. The ECB will take comfort from evidence of ongoing credit growth despite concerns about the impact of negative rates and quantitative easing on the banking sector. In summary, to quote ECB president Mario Draghi: “ECB measures are working; just give them more time.

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Bank lending grew at a record pace in Q1, in spite of challenging environment for banks

Euro area credit growth slowed in March, but Q1 very strong overall

Read the full report here

The expansion of bank credit to euro area non-financial corporations slowed in March, to EUR 1bn compared with a rise of EUR 24bn in January and EUR 19bn in February. By contrast, credit to households continued to increase at a decent pace in March and was slightly stronger than in previous months.

Although credit flows eased in March, the three-month moving average reached a record high in the first quarter overall, in spite of a very challenging quarter for banks in credit and equity markets. Meanwhile, the annual rate of expansion of broad money supply (M3) was roughly stable. The three-month average for M3 growth from January to March stood at 5.0%.

Euro area credit growth slowed in March, but Q1 very strong overall

All in all, the latest credit data and leading indicators, such as April’s Bank Lending Survey (BLS), remain consistent with ongoing credit growth and strong domestic demand in the first half of 2016, supporting our above-consensus forecast for euro area real GDP growth of 1.8% for 2016. The ECB will take comfort from evidence of ongoing credit growth despite concerns about the impact of negative rates and quantitative easing on the banking sector. In summary, to quote ECB president Mario Draghi: “ECB measures are working; just give them more time.”

Mr. Frederik Ducrozet is a Senior Econoist at Banque Pictet & Cie SA, Research Division. Prior to this, he served as Senior Eurozone Economist at Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, Research Division from June 2006 till September 2015. He joined Crédit Agricole SA in 2005. Mr. Ducrozet contributed to the various publications of the research department, with a special focus on macroeconomic developments in Eurozone countries, including on the outlook for fiscal policy and the ECB’s monetary policy. Nadia Gharbi is economist at Pictet Wealth Management. She graduates in Université de Genève, Les Acacias, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland Do not hesitate to contact Pictet for an investment proposal. Do not hesitate to contact Pictet for an investment proposal. Please contact Zurich Office, the Geneva Office or one of 26 other offices world-wide.

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