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Robust Cyprus Loan Growth: Annual Lending Up 11.2% Amid Deposit Contraction

Market Overview

The Cyprus banking sector is witnessing a notable shift as annual loan growth edges upward to 11.2%, despite a significant contraction in overall deposit levels. The latest report from the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) underscores these contrasting trends, signaling a dynamic market environment.

Declining Deposits

According to the CBC’s most recent MFIs deposits and loans statistics, total deposits plunged by €851.2 million in January 2026, reversing the net increase of €877.1 million recorded in December 2025. This decline reflects a decreasing momentum in deposit accumulation, with an annual growth rate dropping from 6.5% to 5.3%. The outstanding deposits now stand at €56.9 billion, with Cyprus residents’ deposits alone falling by €767.7 million. In a nuanced breakdown, household deposits experienced a modest uptick of €34.2 million, while non-financial corporations saw a decrease of €469.7 million, and other domestic sectors collectively dropped by €332.2 million.

Expanding Loan Portfolios

In contrast to deposit trends, the credit market has shown marked resilience. Total loans increased by €76.4 million in January 2026, albeit down from the €587.2 million net growth recorded in the previous month. More notably, the annual expansion of total loans accelerated, rising to 11.2% from 10.7%, bringing the current loan portfolio to €26.9 billion. The demand for credit is particularly evident among Cyprus residents, whose loans jumped by €124.2 million. Meanwhile, loans to non-financial corporations only grew by €22.6 million, and household borrowing remained static. Other domestic sectors contributed an additional €101.5 million in new loans.

Implications for Stakeholders

This divergent trend between deposit contraction and loan expansion may compel stakeholders to reassess liquidity and credit risk frameworks. Analysts suggest that while the robust loan growth indicates a healthy appetite for borrowing, the simultaneous decline in deposits could signal liquidity pressures, necessitating tighter risk management strategies among financial institutions.

Conclusion

The evolving financial landscape in Cyprus, marked by a strong loan growth rate and diminishing deposit volumes, presents both opportunities and challenges. As the CBC continues to provide granular insights into these trends, market participants must remain vigilant, balancing growth ambitions with prudent liquidity management.

Apple Surpasses Nvidia As Investors Reassess The True Cost Of The AI Boom

Apple Reclaims Title As World’s Most Valuable Company

Apple has overtaken Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable publicly traded company again, highlighting a shift in investor sentiment as markets reassess the costs and returns of the artificial intelligence boom.

Apple Regains The Top Spot

Apple (AAPL) ended Monday with a market capitalization of $4.95 trillion, surpassing Nvidia (NVDA), whose valuation fell 5% to $4.77 trillion. It was the first time since April 2025 that Apple closed a trading session ahead of the AI chipmaker.

The move comes ahead of Apple’s quarterly earnings report on Thursday, which investors will closely watch for updates on the company’s AI strategy and broader business performance.

Investors Reassess AI Spending

Nvidia’s decline reflects a broader pullback in AI-related semiconductor stocks as investors increasingly scrutinize the returns on heavy infrastructure spending. The company had held the top valuation since June 2025, when it overtook Microsoft, and briefly surpassed a $5 trillion market capitalization in October.

At the same time, investor interest has broadened beyond graphics processing units to other parts of the AI supply chain, including memory and storage technologies that support expanding data center capacity. Companies such as Micron Technology (MU), SK Hynix and Sandisk (SNDK) have benefited from that shift as demand for AI-related memory and storage infrastructure continues to grow.

Apple’s Capital Strategy Draws Attention

Apple shares have gained 24% so far this year, compared with a 4% increase for Nvidia.

Investors have viewed Apple’s more measured AI spending strategy favorably. Rather than investing heavily in its own AI infrastructure, the company has relied more extensively on leased computing capacity, limiting capital expenditure while continuing to expand its AI capabilities.

The contrast comes as markets increasingly focus on how quickly large AI investments can generate sustainable financial returns.

Earnings In Focus

Apple’s earnings report could also provide an update on the impact of the global memory chip shortage, which has emerged as a growing challenge for hardware manufacturers.

The company raised prices for some Mac and iPad models in June, becoming one of the first major consumer technology companies to publicly reflect higher memory component costs.

Investors will be watching whether Apple can sustain its recent market outperformance as AI-related infrastructure costs continue to rise and supply constraints persist.

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