Equipment lender confidence rises despite ‘twists and turns’

Equipment lender sentiment improved this month as the industry continues to see steady demand despite macroeconomic challenges.

The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association‘s (ELFA) Monthly Confidence Index, released today, rose to 63.7 from 59.9 in May, marking the second consecutive increase. The index comprises responses from roughly 30 equipment lenders.

The increase comes as the industry deals with “many twists and turns that require diligent and consistent discipline to perform through,” Wintrust Specialty Finance President and Chief Executive David Normandin stated in the report.

“Specifically, new business volume continues to be good in some markets and not in others,” he said. “Additionally, the volatile swap market is a challenge to manage expectations and retain margins while the Fed is likely to increase rates rather than reduce rates in 2026. The material increase in Chapter 11 bankruptcy year over year is also valuable to pay attention to and consider if there are lessons to be learned in your organization that would protect your portfolio in the future.”

Meanwhile, 30.4% of lenders expect business conditions to improve over the next four months, up from 27.3% in May. The amount of lenders that expect increased demand over the next four months rose from 26.1% to 31.8%, and those expecting greater access to capital over that stretch jumped from 17.4% to 27.3%.

Check out our exclusive industry data here.