According to Experian the small-business credit quality improved markedly in the third quarter, lifting the Experian/Moody’s Analytics Small Business Credit Index 2.3 points higher to 118.5 from an upwardly revised 116.2 (previously 111.7*) in the second quarter.
The most recent index value is the highest since its inception and is an encouraging sign that small firms’ financial houses are finally starting to fall into order. The index measures credit quality for firms with fewer than 100 workers and has trended upward for the past year. Credit balances expanded at their fastest pace in at least two years, and the delinquency rate has fallen consistently. Ten percent of outstanding small-business credit balances were past due in the third quarter, down 0.7 percentage point from a year ago and the smallest share since the recovery began. *Recalibration of the index led to the larger-than-average revision. To download the report click on the link below.
Source: Experian
