EquiLend: APAC Overtakes North America as Global Securities Lending Hits Record April
EquiLend Data & Analytics reports global securities lending revenue reached $1.58 billion in April 2026, up 43% year over year, as APAC led the global equity lending market.
The global securities lending industry continued setting records into Q2, generating $1.58 billion in April, according to EquiLend Data & Analytics, a 43% increase year over year. Heightened macro uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East drove loan balances to record highs, averaging $4.42 trillion for the month.
The lender-to-broker market generated $1.21 billion in April 2026, a 41% increase from the same month last year. Broker-to-broker activity, where broker-dealers lend and borrow securities from each other, accounted for an additional $372 million, up 49% from the same period last year.
Global equities led the month’s performance, with lender revenue reaching $943 million (+47% YoY), continuing the strong momentum seen last month and throughout 2025. Fixed income revenues rose to $262 million (+23% YoY).
Asia-Pacific (APAC) lender-to-broker equity revenue rose 79% year-over-year to $376 million, with Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia each posting lending revenue increases of more than 90% year over year. Elevated valuations and macro volatility tied to the global energy shock helped drive a 54% increase in loan balances, pushing APAC to the top spot in the global equity lending market.
In North America, lender-to-broker equity revenue increased 28% year over year, driven by a 40% rise in loan balances. Despite fees falling 10% compared to April 2025, lending revenue rose to $372 million. Corporate bond lending revenue increased 23% to $44 million, as a 24% increase in balances offset a 2% decline in fees. Government bond lending revenue rose 28% year over year, while U.S. Treasury loan balances increased 14%.
Lender-to-broker revenue for EMEA equities increased by 39% year-over-year, to $191 million. Loan balances increased 42%, while fees fell 4% over the same period. Corporate debt lending revenue increased 3%, as a 17% rise in loan balances offset a 12% decline in fees. Lending revenue from French OATs and UK Gilts contributed to a 21% year-over-year increase for the region.
Single-stock revenue leaders for April were Contemporary Amperex Technology H Shares (3750 HK), Infosys LTD ADR (INFY US), BillionToOne Inc (BLLN US), SGS SA (SGSN SE), and MiniMax Group (100 HK), which collectively generated $68 million, or 6% of lending revenue.
Bloomberg Terminal users can subscribe to EquiLend Orbisa’s exclusive short selling and financing data by entering APPS ORBISA
Media Contact:
[
About EquiLend
EquiLend is a global financial technology firm offering Trading, Workflow, Data & Insights, and Digital Solutions for the securities finance industry. With offices in North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, EquiLend operates across various jurisdictions worldwide, adhering to the highest regulatory standards. The company is committed to excellence and innovation and is consistently recognized for its contributions to the industry. EquiLend is Great Place to Work Certified™ in the U.S., UK, Ireland and India and has been awarded Global Data Provider of the Year and Regulatory Solution of the Year in the Securities Finance Times Industry Excellence Awards 2025. For more information, visit www.equilend.com.
[
EquiLend Data & Analytics
EquiLend Data & Analytics tracks real-time securities finance market movements across more than 217,920 securities, covering $48.62 trillion in lendable assets and $4.5 trillion in on-loan assets.
