With regard to corporate finance, private banks remain cautious in extending loans to firms with high credit risks, while they continue to be more active in extending loans to blue-chip companies. Their lending attitudes seem to be becoming slightly more accommodative in areas such as terms and conditions for lending.
Meanwhile, the lending attitudes of financial institutions as perceived by firms are improving somewhat, although small firms continue to perceive them as severe. In the corporate bond and CP markets, the issuing environment for firms with high credit ratings continues to be favorable on the whole, although some firms still seem to be taking a wait-and-see stance in the corporate bond issuance market.