UK business is regaining its confidence and returning to the finance markets, according to speakers at the Finance Professional Show run by the National Association of Commercial Finance Broker’s (NACFB) ahead of its annual general meeting.
Adam Tyler, chief executive of the NACFB, noted the show was the largest gathering of SME lenders in London since 2007 which he attributed to greater market confidence and his view was echoed by several speakers at the event.
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Tyler’s feeling seemed to be back by figures published by the NACFB which showed that total asset finance and leasing deal size arranged through members had grown 12.3% in from £2.057bn in 2012 to £2.31bn in 2013.
In addition 47% of members were now broking deals in the leasing and asset fiannce space compared to just 42% last year.
Tyler also used the occasion to announce the return of NatWest and sister brand Royal Bank of Scotland to the broker market for commercial mortgage and bridge lending.
Barry Evans, retail director for the South West and South Wales at NatWest, said he had seen confidence grow among businesses and added October had been his team’s best lending month in five years.
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By GlobalDataAndy Bishop, head of business development for the broker market at Lloyds Bank, said he had seen a 25% year-on-year increase in broker-introduced business, roughly equivalent to £750m.
He added the broker market had a "massive and increasing role to play" in the small business lending market and it would continue to grow.
Jason Oakley, managing director of Metro Bank’s commercial division, noted the recovery was still largely restricted to London and the South East, a view which was also expressed by MPs Anne-Marie Morris, the Conservative chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on micro business, and Toby Perkins, the Shadow Small Business minister.
