Chinese banks extended 1.06 trillion yuan ($150.06 billion) in new yuan loans in July, down from June. Analysts had predicted new yuan loans would fall to 1.25 trillion yuan in July, from 1.66 trillion yuan in the previous month and compared with 1.45 trillion a year earlier.

Broad M2 money supply in July grew 8.1% from a year earlier, central bank data showed on Monday, below estimates of 8.4%. It rose 8.5% in June.

Outstanding yuan loan grew 12.6% from a year earlier. Analysts had expected 12.8% growth, slower than June's 13.0%.

Despite a flurry of growth boosting measures since last year, including a push by regulators to ramp up lending, domestic demand in China has remained sluggish.