MNI BRIEF: Japan Corp Loan Demand Rises - BOJ Survey

Japanese corporate demand for bank financing over the last three months driven by increased sales and capital investment, and the worsening of fund-raising, senior loan officer opinion survey on bank lending practices released by the Bank of Japan showed on Friday.

The index for corporate fund demand – calculated by subtracting the number of banks reporting a decline in lending from the number of those reporting an increase – rose to +4 in April from +1 in January.

The index for fund demand expected for the next three months stood at +4, unchanged from the previous survey, indicating the level will remain solid following the BOJ’s decision to end the negative interest rate.

The index for demand from large companies rose to +4 from +1 in January, and the index for smaller businesses stood at +2, unchanged from three months ago.