MNI BRIEF: Japan Corp Loan Demand Rises - BOJ Survey

Japanese corporate bank financing demand rose over the last three months following sales and capital investment increases and lower access to funding tools, according to the senior loan officer opinion survey on bank lending practices released by the Bank of Japan on Thursday.

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 +6 in July from +4 in April.

The index for fund demand expected for the next three months stood at +6, up from +4 in April, indicating that fund demand will remain solid amid concern over rising interest rates.

The index for demand from large companies rose to +6 from +4 in April, and the index for smaller businesses stood at +1, down from +2 from three months ago.