With Q1 2026 now behind us, trends in settled finance volumes and loan enquiries are revealing where finance is flowing and where new opportunities are emerging.
This quarter, seasonality played a big role. The post-EOFY period often brings a slowdown in lending, as businesses take a moment to review budgets and plan ahead. The impact? Opportunities fell nearly 9% compared to the previous quarter and settlements around 6%.
That said, year-on-year numbers tell a stronger story. Opportunities were up 3% and settlements 31%—a solid sign of continued growth and momentum among Australian SMEs.
💡Quick definitions
- Opportunities are the volume of qualified finance enquiries received by Valiant Finance during the same period.
- Settlements are funding requests that were successfully closed and funded within the quarter.
Opportunities
Looking at opportunities, a few sectors stood out with strong year-on-year gains in volume: Real Estate, Transport & Logistics, Accommodation & Food, Agriculture, and Financial Services. Most also increased their share of overall enquiries, a sign of both growth and rising market influence.
And while some industries saw small quarterly declines, the broader trend shows that demand stays steady across the market.
Moving up: Top industries by growth in volume (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in volume |
| 1 |
Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services |
+36.21%
|
| 2 |
Transport, Postal & Warehousing |
+14.73% |
| 3 |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing |
+13.28% |
| 4 |
Accommodation & Food Services |
+12.39% |
| 5 |
Financial & Insurance Services |
+11.11% |
Moving down: Bottom industries by growth in volume (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in volume |
| 1 |
Public Administration & Safety |
-19.61% |
| 2 |
Health Care & Social Assistance |
-14.37% |
| 3 |
Arts & Recreation Services |
-13.7% |
| 4 |
Administrative & Support Services |
-4.94% |
| 5 |
Retail Trade |
-3.68% |
Moving up: Top industries by growth in weighting (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in weighting |
| 1 |
Transport, Postal & Warehousing |
+1.1% |
| 2 |
Accommodation & Food Services |
+0.7% |
| 3 |
Rental, Hiring & Real Estate Services |
+0.6% |
| 4 |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing |
+0.3% |
Moving down: Bottom industries by growth in weighting (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in weighting |
| 1 |
Health Care & Social Assistance |
-1% |
| 2 |
Retail Trade |
-0.5% |
| 3 |
Arts & Recreation Services |
-0.4% |
| 4 |
Administrative & Support Services |
-0.4% |
| 5 |
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services |
-0.4% |
Settlements
As for settlements, a few industries led the pack in volume and weighting: Public Administration, Financial Services, Arts & Recreation, and Agriculture. Even traditionally steady sectors like Construction, Accommodation & Food Services, and Wholesale Trade saw big lifts.
These results show a strong lending momentum and growing confidence across most industries.
Moving up: Top industries by growth in volume (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in volume |
| 1 |
Public Administration & Safety |
+140% |
| 2 |
Arts & Recreation Services |
+134.78% |
| 3 |
Financial & Insurance Services |
+115.38% |
| 4 |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing |
+82.86% |
| 5 |
Health Care & Social Assistance |
+61.11% |
Moving down: Bottom 3 industries by growth in volume (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in volume |
| 1 |
Mining |
-54.55% |
| 2 |
Electricity, Gas, Water & Waste Services |
-10% |
| 3 |
Transport, Postal & Warehousing |
-3.33% |
Moving up: Top industries by growth in weighting (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in weighting |
| 1 |
Construction |
+2.2% |
| 2 |
Health Care & Social Assistance |
+1.3% |
| 3 |
Arts & Recreation Services |
+1.1% |
| 4 |
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing |
+0.9% |
| 5 |
Accommodation & Food Services |
+0.7% |
Moving down: Bottom industries by growth in weighting (YoY)
| Rank |
Industry |
Change in weighting |
| 1 |
Transport, Postal & Warehousing |
-2.5% |
| 2 |
Other Services |
-1.8% |
| 3 |
Manufacturing |
-0.8% |
| 4 |
Administrative & Support Services |
-0.6% |
| 5 |
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services |
-0.4% |
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The content in this blog is provided for general information purposes only. It doesn't constitute financial advice and shouldn't be relied upon as such. Always consult a licensed financial advisor, accountant, or legal professional to consider your personal circumstances before making financial decisions.
