Index shows slight increase in optimism among bank managers

The Pengab banking climate index rose for the second month running in April, continuing a rebound from February's all-time low on expected lending growth and lower bad debt, polling firm Pentor said on Thursday. The Pengab index shows the percentage point difference between positive and negative answers from a monthly poll of 200 bank managers. It rose four points in April to 2 1.5 points, its highest level since August last year. "Bankers are expecting further credit growth in the retail sector and a slight improvement in złoty deposits," Pentor said in a statement. "They are also expecting a stronger rise in the number of personal accounts, and lower bad credits." Bank manag ers, who are typically more cautious than market analysts, expected an infl ation rate of 2.5% by the end of 2003, unchanged from last month. (Reuters) A.K.