U.S. banks gain on European rivals: Fed survey

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
U.S. banks are benefitting from reduced competition from ailing European institutions in the first quarter, according to a survey of banks' senior loan officers released Monday by the Federal Reserve
U.S. banks also tightened standards on loans to European banks but not by as much as in the prior survey covering the fourth quarter
Overall, many banks eased standards on business loans to firms of all sizes, but European banks had to tighten standards
For the second survey, U.S. banks reported increased demand for business loans