Lending to eurozone businesses picked up pace in March, rising 2.3 per cent year-on-year, up from 2.1 per cent in February, according to European Central Bank data released on Tuesday. The increase marks the fastest growth since mid-2023, suggesting that recent interest rate cuts are beginning to stimulate activity ahead of potential global trade disruptions. Lending to households also strengthened, expanding 1.7 per cent in March compared with 1.5 per cent the previous month, nearing a two-year high. However, the ECB's broader M3 money supply indicator, often viewed as a gauge of future economic momentum, slowed to 3.6 per cent, down from 3.9 per cent in February and below market expectations of 4.0 per cent. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: Y.Yasser
