The Senior Loan Officer Survey collects information on the business-lending practices of Canadian financial institutions. In particular, the Survey gathers the perspectives of respondents on price and non-price terms of business lending and on topical issues of interest to the Bank of Canada. The survey is conducted quarterly, near the end of the quarter for which the results are reported.
Note: The survey results summarize opinions expressed by the respondents and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Bank of Canada.
The survey results indicate almost no change in overall business-lending conditions during the fourth quarter of 2011. This follows several consecutive quarters of easing credit conditions for business borrowers.
The survey results point to an overall easing in business-lending conditions during the third quarter of 2011. The balance of opinion of both the price and non-price aspects of business lending eased during the quarter.
The survey results point to an overall net easing in business-lending conditions. The balance of opinion regarding both price and non-price lending conditions showed the greatest degree of consensus on easing since the survey began in 1999.
The survey results point to an overall net easing in business-lending conditions. Both the price and non-price aspects of business lending eased during the first quarter. Note that the balance of opinion indicates only the direction of the change in lending conditions; it does not provide information on the magnitude of the change.