Banks Easing Loans to Businesses, Poll Says

Major banks made it easier for companies to obtain loans in recent months, the Federal Reserve said.

The Fed's October survey of senior loan officers at 57 U.S. banks and 22 foreign banks also found that a sizable fraction of domestic and foreign banks eased lending standards for commercial real estate loans.

Lending standards were relaxed largely because of increased competition from other banks or non-bank sources of business credit, the Fed said.