U.S. Small Business Conditions

Benchmark snapshot and trend series.

Neutral, data-forward, versioned.

Updated: July 2026
Next Full Update: Q3 2026
Status Internal draft

Capital Snapshot

Current conditions and deltas. Placeholder values for layout.

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Metric Current MoM QoQ YoY Source
Net Tightening (small firms) +18% +6% +12% SLOOS
Loan Demand (small firms) +9% -4% +2% SLOOS
Avg short-term loan rate 9.8% +0.3% +0.9% +1.4% NFIB
Prime rate 8.50% 0.00% +0.25% +1.00% Fed
Working capital pricing band 14-36% +2% +4% Compiled

Historical Series

Underlying time series used to compute deltas. Placeholder values for layout.

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Period Net Tightening Loan Demand Avg Short Rate Prime WC Band (Low) WC Band (High)
Apr 2026 +12% +6% 9.4% 8.25% 13% 34%
May 2026 +14% +5% 9.5% 8.25% 13% 35%
Jun 2026 +16% +7% 9.6% 8.50% 14% 36%
Jul 2026 +18% +9% 9.8% 8.50% 14% 36%

Monthly Signal Note

Short, observational notes between quarterly releases.

July 2026 Signal

  • Bank tightening increased modestly; demand improved slightly.
  • Short-term pricing rose ~30 bps month-over-month.
  • Working capital compiled band widened at the high end.

Methodology Summary

Plain-language description of what this measures and how updates work.

Scope: U.S. small business capital conditions (availability + pricing).

Inputs: Public sources (e.g., SLOOS, NFIB) plus compiled benchmark bands where market pricing is not consistently disclosed.

Cadence: Quarterly structural updates + monthly signal notes. Historical series preserved; deltas computed from the underlying time series.