{"id":276714,"date":"2026-02-23T10:16:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T10:16:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/?p=276714"},"modified":"2026-02-23T10:16:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T10:16:18","slug":"bank-to-business-lending-growth-to-halve-amid-global-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/bank-to-business-lending-growth-to-halve-amid-global-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Bank to business lending growth to halve amid global tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\nMonday 23 February 2026 1:00 am<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<header class=\"article-header \"><time class=\"date-time__time\" datetime=\"2026-02-23T01:00:00+00:00\"> <\/time><br \/>\nUK bank to businesses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/bank-of-england-cuts-lenders-capital-rules-as-global-threats-rise\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lending<\/a> growth is forecast to halve this year as firms feel the pinch of challenging conditions amid global tensions.<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<p>Net growth in the value of lending from the banking sector to businesses is tipped to slow to 3.5 per cent this year, standing at nearly half of the 6.9 per cent increase in 2025, according to EY Item Club.<\/p>\n<p>The Bank of England gradually began <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/inflation-tipped-to-fall-to-year-low-in-boost-to-interest-rate-cuts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cutting interest rates from a post-financial crisis high<\/a> of 5.25 per cent in August 2024, falling to lows of 3.75 per cent at the end of 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The falling rates have given a boost to business lending, which clocked the highest level of lending last year since the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>But a flare up in geopolitical tensions and economic pressures are expected to take a chunk out of lending growth.<\/p>\n<p>Dan Cooper, EY UK &amp; Ireland head of banking and capital markets, said trading conditions were \u201clikely to be challenging this year for businesses both big and small\u201d as well as \u201cthe banks supporting them\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Though he added the outlook \u201cis still one of growth\u201d.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more--has-media read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/secure-trust-bank-sells-motor-finance-arm-after-21m-hit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Secure Trust Bank sells motor finance arm after \u00a321m hit<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>\u201cThe pace of growth is set to pick back up from as early as 2027 as the UK economy strengthens, and all signs point to 2026 being a temporary dip, rather than a long-term slowdown,\u201d Cooper said.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-bank-to-business-lending-to-pick-up-with-economic-growth\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bank to business lending to pick up with economic growth<\/h2>\n<p>EY anticipates the economy will marginally grow as geopolitical uncertainty, tariff disruption, and tightening <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/uk-economy-grew-slower-than-expected-at-the-end-of-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fiscal policy impact growth levels. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump launched a fresh tariff salvo on global trading partners on Saturday following his previous levies being struck down by the US Supreme Court. The UK saw its rate increased by five per cent in the trade offensive, leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/uk-and-trump-in-new-tariff-discussions-as-businesses-sound-alarm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">businesses sounding the alarm. <\/a><\/p>\n<p>But, should the UK\u2019s economic growth prospects pick up, business lending is expected to follow suit.<\/p>\n<p>The economic forecaster said the 2026 slump would likely serve as a \u201ctemporary\u201d dip before conditions pick up in 2027, with net business lending expected to rise 4.5 per cent next year and 4.8 per cent in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>Martina Keane, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ey.com\/en_uk\/services\/growth\/ey-item-club\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">EY<\/a> UK &amp; Ireland financial services leader, said: \u201cIn today\u2019s inherently unpredictable trading environment, waiting for stability is not an option, and given the brighter horizon ahead, a one-year dip in lending growth shouldn\u2019t deter banks from progressing longer-term strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more--has-media read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h5 class=\"read-more__label\">Read more<\/h5>\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/cash-isa-changes-add-complexity-to-the-market-says-building-society\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cash ISA changes add complexity to the market, says building society<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<footer class=\"article-footer \">\n<div class=\"tags-collection article-footer__tags-collection\">\n<h2 class=\"screen-reader-text\">Similarly tagged content:<\/h2>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Sections<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Categories<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">People &amp; Organisations<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/bank-to-business-lending-growth-to-halve-amid-global-tensions\/\">Source link <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/contact-us\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14\" src=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-150x50.png 150w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/1\/embed?mid=1w4tN9mf5kVdBXUXTq2KvwE23NmpUzEna\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0px #ffffff none;\" src=\"https:\/\/calendar.google.com\/calendar\/embed?src=sc635csnrm8h9s9lq0cad6vkss@group.calendar.google.com\" name=\"myiFrame\" width=\"600px\" height=\"3px\" frameborder=\"1\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><\/center><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Business_Solicitors_London.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>Dominic Levent Solicitors<\/div>\n<div>Email: Enquiries@dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div>Phone: 020 8347 6640<\/div>\n<div>Url: https:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: none;\">cash, check, credit card, invoice<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>1345 High Rd<\/div>\n<div>London, London N20 9HR<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday 23 February 2026 1:00 am UK bank to businesses lending growth is forecast to halve this year as firms feel the pinch of challenging conditions amid global tensions. Net growth in the value of lending from the banking sector to businesses is tipped to slow to 3.5 per cent this year, standing at nearly &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/bank-to-business-lending-growth-to-halve-amid-global-tensions\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Bank to business lending growth to halve amid global tensions&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":276730,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-276714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news1","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Bank to business lending growth to halve amid global tensions - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/bank-to-business-lending-growth-to-halve-amid-global-tensions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bank to business lending growth to halve amid global tensions - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Monday 23 February 2026 1:00 am UK bank to businesses lending growth is forecast to halve this year as firms feel the pinch of challenging conditions amid global tensions. 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