Press release

Rome, January 11th, 2017 – Today, ABI and Cerved present the results of their Outlook devoted to the new bad loans of the Italian businesses. The Outlook estimates and forecasts the rates of new bad loans owed by non-financial companies, with breakdowns by company size. The Outlook illustrates how for the first year since the long recession, bad loans decreased across all sectors of the economy and all areas of the country in 2016. The only exception is Southern Italy, where bad loans remained at 2015 levels. For the next two years, widespread improvements are projected in all sectors and geographical areas, with narrowing gaps between the riskiest and least risky sectors and areas. By 2018, bad loans among SMEs will have returned to near the pre-crisis level.