ELFA Monthly Leasing and Finance Index Shows Strong Gains
June new business volume up 17 percent year-over-year, 28 percent month-to-month, and nearly 9 percent year-to-date.
The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $900 billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for June was $10.4 billion, up 17 percent year-over-year from new business volume in June 2020. Volume was up 28 percent month-to-month from $8.1 billion in May. Year-to-date, cumulative new business volume was up nearly 9 percent compared to 2020.
Receivables over 30 days were 1.8 percent, down from 1.9 percent the previous month and down from 2.6 percent in the same period in 2020. Charge-offs were 0.22 percent, down from 0.30 percent the previous month and down from 0.71 percent in the year-earlier period.
Credit approvals totaled 76.7 percent, down from 77.4 percent in May. Total headcount for equipment finance companies was down 13.8 percent year-over-year, a decrease due to significant downsizing at an MLFI reporting company.
Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) in July is 72.9, an increase from the June index of 71.3.
ELFA President and CEO Ralph Petta said, “If equipment finance new business volume at the end of Q2 is any indication, the second half of the year should be as strong as economists predict. Despite slower-than-desired vaccinations in certain parts of the U.S, consumer spending is accelerating, markets remain strong and unemployment continues to slowly abate, all of which are contributing to a strong economy. This portends well for the equipment finance sector as we move into the second half of 2021. Recent pronouncements from the Fed indicate that they are eyeing recent upticks in inflation warily, but interest rates should remain low—at least in the near- to medium-term.”
Mark Duncan, EVP and COO, Hitachi Capital America, said, “2021 continues to bring economic tailwinds as demand continues to outpace supply. The June MLFI illustrates similar conditions at Hitachi Capital America. Our transportation and commercial finance portfolios continue to perform well, with expectations to exceed FY 20-21. Future disruptions could be attributed to supply chain and labor issues, which may take additional time to resolve.”
About ELFA’s MLFI-25
The MLFI-25 is the only index that reflects capex, or the volume of commercial equipment financed in the U.S. The MLFI-25 is released globally at 8 a.m. Eastern time from Washington, D.C., each month on the day before the U.S. Department of Commerce releases the durable goods report. The MLFI-25 is a financial indicator that complements the durable goods report and other economic indexes, including the Institute for Supply Management Index, which reports economic activity in the manufacturing sector. Together with the MLFI-25 these reports provide a complete view of the status of productive assets in the U.S. economy: equipment produced, acquired and financed.
The MLFI-25 is a time series that reflects two years of business activity for the 25 companies currently participating in the survey. The latest MLFI-25, including methodology and participants, is available at www.elfaonline.org/Data/MLFI/.
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