Fitch says NZ bank lending on mortgages and to farmers to grow

Fitch says NZ bank lending on mortgages and to farmers to grow
Jenny Ruth
By Jenny Ruth March 15 (BusinessDesk) - Fitch Solutions says New Zealand bank lending growth should pick up this year to 5.2 percent from 4.7 percent in 2018 and then grow by 5.2 percent in 2020. That will reflect the Reserve Bank's "plans to unwind mortgage lending restrictions and rising agricultural loan growth. Additionally, New Zealand’s banks remain financially sound and possess adequate capital buffers in the event of market turbulence,” Fitch says. It emphasises that Fitch Solutions and Fitch Ratings analysts operate independen...