According to Fed data, the net proportion of U.S. banks that tightened standards on commercial and industrial loans for midsize and large businesses fell to 7.9 percent—the lowest since 2022.
Even as relative calm has returned in recent days, the likelihood of further shakeouts in currencies and equities, and simmering economic risks, support the case for bonds.
Initial claims fell by 17,000 last week, in part because of a drop in Michigan, Missouri, and Texas, states that had registered large increases in unemployment applications in prior weeks.
