Chinese new bank loans shrank in April, official data showed on Thursday, reflecting persistent weakness in credit demand.
New loans declined by 10 billion yuan, equivalent to $1.5 billion, in April, according to calculations by The Wall Street Journal based on data from the People's Bank of China. The drop indicates borrowers repaid more than banks extended during the month.
That was well below the 325 billion yuan new loans expected by economists in a Wall Street Journal survey.
Total social financing, a broad measure of credit that includes non-bank financing, stood at 620 billion yuan in April, down sharply from 5.23 trillion yuan reported in March, according to the official data.
M2, the broadest measurement of money supply, rose 8.6% on year in April, higher than the 8.5% anticipated by polled economists.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
05-14-26 0552ET
