Establishment, security, succession
According to the now published “KfW-ifo credit hurdle”, companies in Germany again had major problems obtaining loans in the second quarter of 2024. Among small and medium-sized companies, 27.8 percent rated the banks’ behavior as restrictive – an increase of 1.5 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. The proportion of large companies that reported difficult loan negotiations rose by a significant 5.1 percentage points to 25.8 percent compared to the first quarter. The credit barriers for large companies are thus even higher than their previous record level during the energy crisis in 2022.
For the study, KfW evaluates data from the ifo Institute’s economic surveys every quarter, differentiated by size classes and economic sectors.
In general, slightly more companies were interested in taking out a loan in the second quarter. 21.2 percent of small and medium-sized companies talked about financing with their bank. This was a slight increase of 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous quarter. However, the sideways trend at a below-average level that has been ongoing for two years is continuing. The recovery in demand for credit among large companies is already much more advanced. The proportion of companies interested in taking out a loan increased by 0.4 percentage points to 32.9 percent in the second quarter – and exceeded the average since 2017 for the first time since summer 2020.
Tipp:
A Chamber of Industry and Commerce seminar on October 24th will show how entrepreneurs can prepare for and successfully conduct bank meetings. Requirements for sustainability and digital security will also be considered.
Stand: 22.08.2024
