Equipment Finance Economic Survey shows new business growth.
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Press Release Summary:
ELFA's Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25) shows overall new business volume for February up 28% compared to same period in 2010 and down "a tick" compared to prior month. Receivables over 30 days increased to 3.1% from 2.8% in Jan but declined 47% compared to 2010. Also, charge-offs increased from 0.9% in Jan to 1.0% in Feb. Compared to prior year, new application approvals increased to 76%, and 61% of participants reported submitting more transactions for approval during Feb.
Original Press Release:
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Survey of Economic Activity: Monthly Leasing and Finance Index
February New Business Volume Up 28 Percent Year-over-year
Washington, DC - The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity for the $521 billion equipment finance sector, showed overall new business volume for February was $4.1 billion, up 28 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Measured against the prior month, February volume was down a tick. And, it is worth noting that only 10 percent of responding organizations reported declining volume activity when compared to the year-earlier period.
Credit quality continues to be mixed. Receivables over 30 days increased to 3.1 percent in February from 2.8 percent in January, but declined by 47 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Charge-offs increased slightly, from 0.9 percent in January to 1.0 percent in February, but showed dramatic improvement over the same period in 2010.
Compared to the year-earlier period, credit standards eased as new application approvals increased to 76 percent in February. And, 61 percent of participating organizations reported submitting more transactions for approval during the month, up from 56 percent of responding organizations in January.
Finally, total headcount for equipment finance companies remained flat for the last four months, but was down four percent year-over-year. Supplemental data shows that the construction and trucking sectors once again led the underperforming sectors in February.
Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) for March is 72.4, a new high since the MCI was launched in May 2009, and an increase from the previous high of 71.6 in February. For more detailed information on the MCI-EFI visit www.LeaseFoundation.org
ELFA President and CEO William G. Sutton, CAE, said, "Both performance indices-the MLFI and MCI-show reasons to be optimistic about the equipment finance sector as the economy slowly recovers and the demand side of the capital investment equation picks up steam."
Speaking from the healthcare equipment finance perspective, ELFA member James Cress, Director of Operations, Stryker Finance, located in Kalamazoo, MI, said, "Demand for healthcare equipment financing in the beginning of the year has been softer than anticipated, but we believe that growing pipelines, combined with an increase in new construction and renovation, indicate that demand is picking up."
Cress added, "The abundance of cash in the marketplace, along with continued uncertainty tied to regulation, healthcare reform and the global economy, is creating increasing pressures on finance companies. However, these challenges are driving more innovation of financial products by the industry to meet the needs of our customers in more creative ways."
About the ELFA's MLFI-25
The MLFI-25 is the only index that reflects capex, or the volume of commercial equipment financed in the U.S. The MLFI-25 is released globally at 9 a.m. Eastern time from Washington, D.C., each month, on the day before the U.S. Department of Commerce releases the durable goods report. The MLFI-25 is a financial indicator that complements the durable goods report and other economic indexes, including the Institute for Supply Management Index, which reports economic activity in the manufacturing sector. Together with the MLFI-25 these reports provide a complete view of the status of productive assets in the U.S. economy: equipment produced, acquired and financed.
The latest Monthly Leasing and Finance Index, including methodology and participants is available below and also at www.elfaonline.org/ind/research/MLFI/
MLFI-25 Methodology
The ELFA produces the MLFI-25 survey to help member organizations achieve competitive advantage by providing them with leading-edge research and benchmarking information to support strategic business decision making.
The MLFI-25 is a barometer of the trends in U.S. capital equipment investment. Five components are included in the survey: new business volume (originations), aging of receivables, charge-offs, credit approval ratios, (approved vs. submitted) and headcount for the equipment finance business.
The MLFI-25 measures monthly commercial equipment lease and loan activity as reported by participating ELFA member equipment finance companies representing a cross section of the equipment finance sector, including small ticket, middle-market, large ticket, bank, captive and independent leasing and finance companies. Based on hard survey data, the responses mirror the economic activity of the broader equipment finance sector and current business conditions nationally.
ELFA MLFI-25 Participants
ADP Credit Corporation
Bancorp South Equipment Finance
Bank of America
Bank of the West
BB&T
Canon Financial Services
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
CIT
De Lage Landen Financial Services
Dell Financial Services
EverBank Commercial Finance
Fifth Third Bank
First American Equipment Finance
GreatAmerica
Hitachi Credit America
HP Financial Services
John Deere Financial
Key Equipment Finance
M&I Equipment Finance
Marlin Leasing Corporation
Merchants Capital
National City Commercial Corp.
RBS Asset Finance
Siemens Financial Services
Stearns Bank
Susquehanna Commercial Finance, Inc.
US Bancorp
Verizon Capital Corp
Volvo Financial Services
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
About the ELFA
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) is the trade association that represents companies in the $521 billion equipment finance sector, which includes financial services companies and manufacturers engaged in financing capital goods. ELFA members are the driving force behind the growth in the commercial equipment finance market and contribute to capital formation in the U.S. and abroad. Its over 600 members include independent and captive leasing and finance companies, banks, financial services corporations, broker/packagers and investment banks, as well as manufacturers and service providers. In 2011, ELFA is celebrating 50 years of equipping business for success. For more information, please visit www.elfaonline.org.
ELFA is the premier source for statistics and analyses concerning the equipment finance sector. Please visit www.elfaonline.org/ind/research/ for additional information.
The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation is the non-profit affiliate to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, providing future-focused research to the equipment finance industry. For more information please visit the website at www.leasefoundation.org
Media/Press Contact: Amy Vogt, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, ELFA, 202-238-3438 or avogt@elfaonline.org
