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Lending to euro zone private sector steadies in July
Loans to firms and households in the euro zone ticked up in July after a decline in the prior month but remained weak, adding to signs that the currency bloc is heading into recession. Loans to the private sector rose 0.1 percent from the same month a year ago, data released by the European Central Bank showed, coming in above the expectations of economists polled by Reuters for a 0.2-percent fall. The flow of loans to non-financial firms rose 8 billion euros after falling by 3 billion euros in June. The monthly flow of loans to households showed a drop of 8 billion euros after a rise of 4 billion euros in the ... (full story)