Researcher
THE COUNTRYâS biggest banks lent less to households and firms in the fourth quarter of 2020, as profits fell and soured loans increased amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The latest edition of
BusinessWorldâs quarterly banking report showed the aggregate loans of 46 universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) contracted by 3.96% year on year to P9.582 trillion in the fourth quarter, more than the 0.74% decline in the preceding quarter, as banks remained risk averse.
The latest reading was the largest since the fourth quarter of 2003 when loans lent by U/KBs went down by 4.17%. Moreover, this was only the second decline in almost 11 years following the slump in the previous quarter.