C&I Loans (Large Banks) -- Historical Chart
C&I Loans - Large Banks. Gray shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions.
Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), Series CIBOARD. Updated 2026-03-09.
What the Feb 2026 Data Shows
At $1.5T, c&i loans (large banks) in Feb 2026 is above the 10-year average of $816.2B by $676.0B. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months.
FRED series CIBOARD isolates C&I lending at the largest 25 domestically chartered commercial banks. These institutions -- JPMorgan, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, and their peers -- serve the largest corporate borrowers and hold the majority of syndicated loan exposure.
Large bank C&I lending is driven by corporate investment cycles, M&A financing, leveraged buyouts, and working capital needs of major companies. These banks also serve as lead arrangers in syndicated lending, so their appetite for C&I risk influences credit availability across the entire market.
The weekly frequency from the H.8 release allows tracking of rapid changes in corporate borrowing patterns, such as the massive credit line drawdowns that occurred in March 2020.
What This Metric Measures
This page tracks the total C&I loans held by large domestically chartered commercial banks (top 25 by assets). The data comes from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED database, series CIBOARD, updated weekly.
Historical Context
The all-time peak was $1.8T in May 2020 — roughly 1.2x the current level. The all-time trough was $358.3B in Sep 1993. During COVID-19, the reading hit $1.8T (May 2020). Year-over-year, the metric has moved +5.9%.
Why It Matters
Large bank C&I trends reflect corporate America's borrowing behavior. When large bank C&I grows, big companies are investing and expanding. When it contracts, either corporate cash flow is strong enough to self-fund (good) or large borrowers are retreating (concerning).
Divergence from small bank C&I is particularly informative. If large banks are growing while small banks are shrinking, it may indicate that credit conditions are bifurcated -- large borrowers are fine but small businesses are being cut off.
What This Means for Business Owners
Understanding where this metric stands relative to historical norms helps business owners make better borrowing decisions. When c&i loans (large banks) is above its 10-year average, it signals changing conditions in the credit markets that affect both cost and availability of financing.
Comparison: Related Series
| Series | Current | Period | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| C&I Loans - Large Banks | $1.5T | Feb 2026 | +5.9% |
| C&I Loans - Small Banks | $709.2B | Feb 2026 | -7.2% |
C&I Loans (Large Banks) -- Frequently Asked Questions
Large domestically chartered banks hold $1.5T in C&I loans as of Feb 2026, per FRED series CIBOARD.
Large banks typically hold 60-65% of total C&I loans. The remainder is at small banks and foreign bank branches.
The balance moved down from the prior period. The reading has been mixed recently, fluctuating without a clear directional trend over the past 6 months.
Large banks serve corporate borrowers who have bond market alternatives. Small banks serve Main Street businesses that depend entirely on bank lending. The two can move in different directions.
Fortune 500 companies drew down revolving credit facilities as a precautionary measure. Single companies drew billions in days. The drawdowns were largely repaid within 6-12 months.
FRED series CIBOARD, from the Federal Reserve H.8 weekly release. 'Large' means the top 25 domestically chartered banks by assets.