U.S. business borrowing for equipment rises 7% in April- ELFA

Reuters

Published May 23, 2022 03:11PM ET

(Reuters) - U.S. companies borrowed 7% more in April to finance their investments in equipment compared to a year earlier, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) said on Monday, as firms ramp up production to meet demand.

The companies signed up for $10.5 billion in new loans, leases and lines of credit, compared with $9.3 billion a year earlier.

"Soaring energy prices and inflation are headwinds confronting the industry as we move into the summer months," said Ralph Petta, ELFA's chief executive officer, in a statement.

ELFA, which reports economic activity for the nearly $1-trillion equipment finance sector, said credit approvals totaled 77.4%, down from 78.3% in March.

Washington-based ELFA's leasing and finance index measures the volume of commercial equipment financed in the United States.