Lender confidence and bank competition boost number of loans
Published:
17 September 2004 y., Friday
Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have finally found a way to get hold of bank loans.
Banks have reported an increasing volume of loans to small and medium-size companies for the first half of 2004. Experts say the shift is because smaller businesses have gained the confidence of lenders and the entire sector has been doing better.
Ceska sporitelna, for example, lent 10.4 billion Kc ($400 million) to companies with annual turnover worth 1 billion Kc in the first half of 2004, up by 41 percent compared to last year. In the same period the bank lent another 5 billion Kc to entrepreneurs and small business with turnover below 30 million Kc.
Spokeswoman Vera Carna said the bank has also established special commercial centers in each of the country's regions to provide loans.
At GE Capital Bank the volume of lending to small firms was up 32 percent to 6.3 billion Kc compared to the same period a year ago. The majority of smaller clients borrow an amount of less than 10 million Kc and in the case of an investment loan pay back the loan in two to five years, said Jan Hainz, the spokesman for GE Capital Bank.
Jan Schiesser, an analyst at Atlantik Financial Markets, said two key factors are responsible for the loan boom. He said there is tough national and international competition on the market for bigger clients, leading banks to focus on smaller customers. Also, SMEs have learned to keep their accounting transparent, so it is much easier for banks to assess the loan, Schiesser added.
He said he expects the volume of loans will continue to grow sharply in the next two to three years, as the bottom line was very low.
Šaltinis:
praguepost.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
China's premier told the National People's Congress Thursday that the nation expects to achieve 8 percent economic growth this year.
more »
The European Commission is calling on EU leaders to further step up coordinated European action to fight the economic crisis.
more »
Biggest auto bosses except some changes in the car market, but despite this optimism, many say this could be last large-scale car show for several years.
more »
Taking into account changes in domestic money market AB DnB NORD Bankas, a member of international financial group, has changed corporate time deposit rates.
more »
A gradual increase in minimum tax rates on cigarettes, to at least €1.50 per pack by 2014, and other tobacco products, was backed by the Economic Affairs Committee on Monday, but it advocated smaller increases than those proposed by the Commission.
more »
About 2,000 Belgian postal workers marched in the centre of Brussels to protest over plans to privatise and reorganise the Belgian postal sector.
more »
In October last year Iceland suffered the most severe economic crash of any country during peacetime.
more »
ATMPortfoliosForSale.com, a site dedicated to the buying and selling of ATM businesses and portfolios, is reporting a drastic increase in ATM portfolio acquisitions.
more »
As the United States economy sinks further into recession fertility clinics have seen more women offering to donate their eggs for cash windfalls of up to 10,000 (USD).
more »
A group of financial experts has put forward 18 detailed recommendations to strengthen supervision of the EU’s financial institutions and markets.
more »