The fields bankers look at for lending: European project co-funding, exports and energy

The good news for 2011 is that bankers are in one voice speaking about rising lending after two years when the amount of private sector funding has dropped in real terms, yet the first targeted are exporting companies, those accessing European funds or energy ones.
Retail lending comes second as employees will be only later feeling in their pockets the rebounding turnovers of companies they work for. Still, there is growth potential on the mortgage and credit card segments, bankers believe.
"I believe in 2011 we'll see rising lending on the segment of companies having exports as their core business, with these likely to also play a part in the revival of the Romanian economy. At the same time, European fund project co-funding and funding energy companies will be fields of interest this year," says Sergiu Oprescu, executive president of Alpha Bank.
"(...) Other businesses with favourable medium-term outlooks are those in the fields of energy, natural resources, health services, utilities, FMCG and infrastructure," believes Mişu Negriţoiu, CEO of ING Bank.