The latest Federal Reserve update on Assets and Liabilities of Commercial Banks in the U.S. (http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h8/current/) reported that commercial and industrial lending rose$2 billion, to $1,374 billion in the week ended October 228, 2009.  This is a break is the long and consistent decline in C&I loans (with a fall of 13% since September 2008).  However, it is too premature to say whether this is a blip, or whether the decline in such lending has plateaued.