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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's loan growth remained stable in November 2025, staying within Hong Leong Investment Bank Bhd's full-year 2025 forecast range of 5.0 to 5.5 per cent.

In a note, the firm said banking system loan growth eased slightly to 5.2 per cent year-on-year in November from 5.4 per cent in October, mainly due to weaker business lending.

Household loan growth was unchanged at 5.4 per cent, supported by continued demand for property and auto financing.

The moderation in business loans stemmed largely from softer small and medium enterprise (SME) lending, although borrowing for larger corporate investments rose.

"Overall, system loan growth continued to track stably, remaining comfortably within our financial year 2025 forecast range of 5.0 to 5.5 per cent," HLIB said.

Leading indicators pointed to a rebound in momentum, with total loan applications rising 11.7 per cent year-on-year and approvals increasing 9.2 per cent.

Business loan applications and approvals recorded strong gains of 21.9 per cent and 13.0 per cent respectively, while household loan growth eased slightly.

Meanwhile, deposit growth moderated to 2.7 per cent year-on-year, weighed down by lower current account and savings account balances and foreign currency deposits.

The loan-to-deposit ratio climbed to a five-year high of 90.0 per cent in November, although HLIB expects it to ease as competition for fixed deposits intensifies toward year-end.

Asset quality remained stable, with the gross impaired loans ratio edging up to 1.40 per cent from October levels. The firm said banks remain well-provisioned to absorb any potential deterioration.

Interest spreads widened marginally by one basis point to 2.39 per cent, as deposit repricing offset slightly softer lending yields. Net interest margins, however, are expected to remain under near-term pressure.

HLIB maintained an "Overweight" rating on the banking sector, pending a review of target prices in its upcoming sector report.

Given the sector's recent strength, the firm said it is rerating several stocks from "Buy" to "Under Review" due to limited upside to current target prices.

These include Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd, AMMB Holdings Bhd, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd and RHB Bank Bhd.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/01/1348976/household-loans-steady-sme-demand-drags-growth