Commercial lending

Federal Reserve lending data released Friday showed that bank lending declined by the greatest level ever during the end of March, an indicator that credit conditions are worsening.

Lenders are bracing for more companies to fall behind on their loan payments. That could create more opportunities for banks to dispose of these nonperforming credits through an Article 9 sale.

Rising vacancy levels, soaring interest rates and weaknesses exposed by recent bank failures have analysts and investors worried about banks' outsized exposure to high-rise office, apartment and retail properties.

The regulation — mandated more than a decade ago to combat discrimination — will make lenders provide data on approvals and denials of small-business loan applications, the cost of credit and demographics of borrowers.

Lenders had started tightening as early as the fourth quarter in anticipation of a possible recession. Now, the banking crisis is driving community and regional banks in particular to hit the brakes harder, stoking renewed recessions fears.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to issue a small business data collection rule this week, more than a decade after it was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act to collect data on all small business credit applicants.

Banks with strong underwriting and stress testing should be well positioned to survive the credit and liquidity issues that may come while being able to continue to serve customers.

The $1.25 trillion-asset Home Loan Bank System collectively issued $303.9 billion in discount notes and bonds last week, with demand tapering dramatically from $111.8 billion on Monday to $21.7 billion by Friday.

The system of 11 regional banks issued a combined $137 billion of bonds and discount notes on Tuesday and Wednesday, after selling $112 billion on Monday, the largest single day of issuance in its 90-year history.

Analysts are increasingly focused on rising office property vacancy rates, driven by remote-work trends and higher costs of living. They are worried that cash-strapped landlords could default on loans and cause losses in banks' CRE portfolios.