Money Printing Is Back as US Bank Lending Surges Amid AI Capex Boom

Published 15/09/2025, 13:43
Updated 15/09/2025, 13:50

The chart below is quite insane: money printing is back, and it matters.

Real-economy, spendable, potentially inflationary money is created by the government and banks.

Governments create new money for the private sector when they incur in primary deficits: they tax less and spend more, therefore injecting new money into households and corporate bank accounts.

Government deficits coincide with wealth surpluses in the private sector.

Banks create money when they make a new loan: for example, a mortgage allows an individual to purchase a house with newly created money, which ends up in the bank account of the seller.

Tariffs have recently acted as a tax for the US, reducing primary deficits and negatively impacting money creation for the real economy.

But the US is still printing money - this time, via bank lending.

The chart below shows the Commercial and Industrial loans produced by US banks, and take a look at the sharp increase we’ve witnessed recently!Commercial and Industrial Loans, All Commercial Banks

The AI-related capex is really large, and it is often debt-funded.

Expenditures in data centers have now surpassed capex in commercial real estate, and the trend is only set to continue.

What happens when next year the OBBB kicks in, and the US fiscal stimulus combines with the bank-lending-driven money printing?

In one word: BRRRR.

***

This article was originally published on The Macro Compass. Come join this vibrant community of macro investors, asset allocators and hedge funds - check out which subscription tier suits you the most using this link.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.