In the second half of 2011, commercial and industrial loans, the main category for business lending, grew by nearly 6%, according to Federal Reserve data.

WSJ: HEARD ON THE STREET: Banking Whales Leave Minnows Behind

Commercial and industrial loans are up at an annual rate of 15.3% so far this year, a level of growth not seen since the go-go Nineties.

FORBES: Dog Day Good News

As the graph below depicts, commercial and industrial loans have been declining since late 2008 and only recently have we seen a leveling off of the credit contraction.

FORBES: Double-Dip Yes, But Bullish Just The Same

Commercial and industrial loans at all commercial banks have increased 24 percent in the last two years, including a 1.5 percent increase between November and December alone, according to data from the St.

FORBES: Will banks' shifting portfolio mixes mean easier borrowing for businesses?

Commercial and industrial loans by banks shrank by 24% between October 2008 and March, but have levelled off since then, and Fed surveys have found that for the first time since 2007 banks are easing standards for business loans.

ECONOMIST: Jobs and businesses

No outsider knows the percentages of non-performing loans at the big four banks of China, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and China Construction Bank.

FORBES: Is China The Next EU?