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Interest rates

15.10.2018

The Banque centrale du Luxembourg (BCL) informs that, based on preliminary data, the main interest rates applied by Luxembourg’s credit institutions to euro area households and non-financial corporations (NFCs) for their loans and deposit operations have on average evolved as follows in August 2018.

Representative interest rates on new contracts[1] – loans and deposits – concluded with households

The variable[2] interest rate on mortgage loans granted to households has decreased by 5 basis points compared to July 2018 to reach 1.50% during August 2018. The volume of these newly granted loans has decreased by 116 million euros a monthly basis to reach 184 million euros during last reference period. On a yearly basis, the interest rate has decreased by 13 basis points whereas the volume of newly granted loans has increased by 37 million euros.

The fixed[3] interest rate on mortgage loans granted to households has remained broadly stable on a monthly basis to reach 1.91% during August 2018. The volume of these newly granted loans has decreased by 126 million euros on a monthly basis and has consequently amounted to 238 million euros during the last reference period. On a yearly basis, this interest rate has increased by 3 basis points and the volume of newly granted loans has increased by 27 million euros.[4]

The interest rate on consumer loans that have an initial fixation period above 1 year and below or equal to 5 years has decreased by 9 basis points on a monthly basis to reach 2.53% in August 2018. The volume of these newly granted loans has decreased by 3 million euros on a monthly basis to reach 24 million euros during August 2018. On a yearly basis, the interest rate and the volume of newly granted loans has remained roughly unchanged.

The interest rate on households’ fixed-term deposits that have an initial maturity below or equal to 1 year has decreased by 2 basis points on a monthly basis to reach 11 basis points during August 2018.

EN1

EN2

Representative interest rates on new contracts1 – loans and deposits – concluded with NFCs

The variable2 interest rate on loans below or equal to 1 million euros granted to NFCs has decreased by 11 basis points on a monthly basis to reach 1.56% in August 2018. The volume of newly granted loans has decreased by 9 million euros on a monthly basis, reaching 825 million euros in August 2018. On a yearly basis, this interest rate has decreased by 21 basis points whereas the volume of newly granted loans has increased by 45 million euros.

The variable2 interest rate on loans above 1 million euros granted to NFCs has increased by 11 basis points compared to previous month to reach 1.05% in August 2018. The volume of these newly granted loans has increased by 733 million euros on a monthly basis and has consequently reached 6 092 million euros in August 2018. On a yearly basis, this interest rate has decreased by 8 basis points and the volume of newly granted loans has decreased by 112 million euros.

The interest rate on fixed-term deposits of NFCs with an initial maturity below or equal to 1 year has increased by 7 basis points on a monthly basis to reach 2 basis points in August 2018.

EN3

The tables pertaining to interest rates applied to credit institutions can be consulted and/or downloaded on the BCL’s website on the following pages:

http://www.bcl.lu/en/statistics/series_statistiques_luxembourg/03_Capital_markets/index.html

Weighting method

The interest rates applied to new contracts are weighted within the categories of instruments concerned by the amounts of individual contracts. This results from the compilation of national aggregates carried out by reporting credit institutions and by the BCL.

[1] New contracts refer to any new agreement concluded between the household or the non-financial corporation and the reporting agent. New contracts include all financial contracts which mention for the first time the interest rate pertaining to the deposit or credit and all renegotiations of existing deposits or credits.

[2] Variable interest rate or rate with an initial fixation period inferior or equal to 1 year.

[3] Fixed interest rate weighted by the amounts of contracts for all mortgage loans granted, whatever the initial rate fixation period (above 1 year). This series has been published by the BCL only since February 2009 for methodological reasons linked to the identification of reporting agents.

[4] It is worth stressing that new lending volumes for housing loans granted at fixed rates have been revised between January 2017 and December 2017 due to reporting errors from one bank. The revised data provide a more accurate evolution of bank lending on a yearly basis. Despite the variation in volumes, the interest rate of such mortgage loans remains largely unchanged.