China: Credit-light growth reshapes loan demand – Standard Chartered

FXStreetAug 18, 2026 9:19 AM

View all comments（0）



Standard Chartered’s Carol Liao and Moriarty Lam analyze slowing loan growth in China despite stable real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and recent reflation. They note broad-based weakness across housing-related lending and other sectors, as new services and high-tech growth engines are more credit-light and rely more on direct financing. This transition is seen as critical for China’s debt sustainability and financial-market development.

Loan growth slowdown and structural shift

"China’s loan growth has continued to decelerate, despite relatively stable real GDP growth and recent reflation."

"The slowdown is broad-based: housing-related lending has contracted, and loan growth in the rest of the economy has also slowed since 2023, including in relatively resilient sectors such as light industries and services."

"China’s emerging growth engines, such as services and high-tech industries, are less loan-intensive than traditional growth drivers such as housing and infrastructure."

"This shift matters for China’s debt sustainability and financial-market development."

"Furthermore, with savings remaining abundant while loan demand softens, interest rates are likely to remain low for longer."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice.

Comments (0)

Click the $ button, enter the symbol, and select to link a stock, ETF, or other ticker.

Commenting Guidelines

Recommended Articles

Salesforce vs. ServiceNow: SaaS Sees AI Turnaround, Which Has More Upside Potential, CRM or NOW?

TradingKey - Salesforce (CRM) and ServiceNow (NOW) were rarely viewed as direct competitors in the past. Salesforce has long dominated enterprise sales, marketing, and customer service markets, while ServiceNow excels in IT service management and internal workflows. However, as both companies increasingly push into each other's core businesses, the once-clear boundaries between the two SaaS giants are rapidly disappearing.

Copper Surges to Record High: Which Copper Stocks Are Worth Watching?

Copper prices recently reached an all-time high of $14,533, registering a cumulative gain of 17% over the past year. Underpinning this record rally is a long-standing narrative championed by copper bulls for years: aging major global mines struggle to keep pace with demand growth driven by AI data centers, renewable energy, and power grid construction. The gains over the past year have been supported precisely by this long-term supply-demand mismatch.

US Stocks End Four-Day Losing Streak, Dow Rises 500 Points; Dell Surges 12%, Oracle Reverses Gains to Fall Nearly 2% Post-Earnings

A pullback in international oil prices provided risk-appetite support for U.S. stocks, snapping a four-day losing streak, with computer hardware and optical communication stocks leading the gains. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.98% to 52,573.29; the Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.96% to 26,333.04; and the S&P 500 Index advanced 0.86% to 7,656.98.

Dell Stock Price Forecast: Gains Over 11% to Hit New Record High, Next Price Target to Surpass $600

On September 11, Eastern Time, Dell Technologies (DELL) shares reached an intraday high of $567.75, setting a new record high with a gain of over 11%. RBC Capital recently initiated coverage on Dell with an "Outperform" rating and a price target of $640. RBC believes that enterprise investment in AI, computing modernization, storage expansion, and PC replacement demand will support Dell's performance in consistently exceeding its long-term targets. Analyst David Paige stated that Dell's end-to-end portfolio across computing, PCs, storage, and servers, combined with its massive installed base, industry-leading supply chain capabilities, and flexible consumption models (such as subscription-based delivery), positions the company to continue capturing market share.

Micron Taiwan Employees Get Up to 68 Months of Pay: Will Strike Risk Ease as HBM Supply Draws Focus?

TradingKey - As AI servers continue to drive up demand for DRAM, particularly High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), Micron Technology (MU) has announced its FY2026 incentive plan for employees in Taiwan. However, the company and the union at its Taoyuan plant failed to reach an agreement in the first round of labor mediation.

Featured Tools