

Citi sees no surge in corporate credit demand despite oil shock amid West Asia conflict
Mint.“In the early days of covid-19, those drawdowns were extraordinary, unprecedented. It is pretty minimal right now,” said Rekate.
“As a percentage of our overall book of credit facilities, it has not been much at all and I would even describe it as less than I would have expected.”Rekate said the restraint reflects stronger corporate balance sheets built after the pandemic, helping companies absorb shocks such as oil-price volatility and disruptions to global trade without immediately turning to bank credit.“They became comfortable with holding on to more liquidity for themselves, but also realized that banks were performing. I think that people have a lot of confidence, especially in large regulated banks and they do not necessarily need to draw those facilities to be sure that they are available,” said Rekate, who has spent around 24 years at the Wall Street bank.The war in Iran, now in its third week, has created a shipping bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow conduit through which about one-fifth of global oil supply passes.
Oil prices have remained volatile, touching $100 per barrel as economies scramble to contain the fallout for fuel prices, consumption and growth. In periods of stress, demand for working capital facilities typically rises as sellers charge more for the same amount of goods.Analysts have also flagged risks from rising oil prices.
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