Data for London are less transparent, but the best proxy is the level of shares being lent (to bet on a share price falling, short-sellers often borrow stock and then sell it).

A main reason for the Banks' problems is that they have lent money against: depositors' hugely overvalued stock holdings and property.

Instead of the modern approach of granting stock options at no cost to the executives, GM and Du Pont lent money to managers so that they could purchase company stock at market prices.