Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Releases Monthly Economic Index

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross section of the $903-billion equipment finance sector, showed their overall new business volume for October was $8.3 billion, up 9 percent from new business volume in October 2013. Month over month, new business volume was down 12 percent from September. Year to date, cumulative new business volume increased 8 percent compared to 2013.  

Receivables over 30 days increased from the previous month to 1.2 percent, and were up from 0.9 percent in the same period in 2013. Charge-offs were unchanged for the seventh consecutive month at an all-time low of 0.2 percent.

Credit approvals totaled 78.3 percent in October, a decrease from 79.7 percent the previous month.   Total headcount for equipment finance companies was up 0.7 percent year over year.

Separately, the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Monthly Confidence Index (MCI-EFI) for November is 64.2, an increase from the October index of 60.4 and the highest level since May.