Benchmark
Here's One Trend That Could Drive a Rebound in U.S. Consumer Spending
In good news for consumers, banks are becoming more willing to lend
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Spending by Americans may be on the cusp of rebounding. That's the takeaway of the Federal Reserve's latest survey of senior loan officers, which showed a continued rise in the share of banks more willing to lend to consumers.
"More lending means more spending," said Dan Binder, an analyst at Jefferies Group LLC in New York. By increasing in consecutive quarters this year, lending practices are "moving in the right direction," he said. The percentage of banks more willing to lend minus the share less willing is a leading indicator of retail-sales growth by about nine months, according to his analysis. The Fed's survey on bank loans is an important gauge of future spending trends, he said.