Bigger U. S. Companies Borrow More, but Banks Stay Cautious

U. S. companies, especially the bigger ones, are borrowing more money. This is the biggest increase in loan demand in about three years. However, banks are still being careful about who they lend to. The Federal Reserve's latest survey shows that while large and mid-sized firms are asking for more loans, small businesses are not doing the same. Banks are making it harder to get loans, but not as much as they did earlier this year. This could slow down the growth of loans, even though more companies want them. Economists say that even though the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates twice, making it cheaper to borrow, the strict lending rules might not help the economy grow as much as hoped. It could also make it harder for the government to create more jobs.Earlier this year, companies were not borrowing much because of big changes in government policies, especially around taxes and trade. But now, things have calmed down a bit. The U. S. has made some trade deals with other countries, which has helped reduce some uncertainty. However, banks are still worried about companies that do a lot of business with other countries. They are more likely to approve loans for companies that do not trade much internationally. This shows that banks are still careful about who they lend to, especially with all the uncertainty around trade policies.