Firms' funding patterns have changed as a result of the global financial crisis, Ric Battellino, the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said in Brisbane on Friday.

The 4% drop in business credit levels over the past year was the result of firms raising equity, rather than relying on debt financing. "Helped by the pool of funds that has been built up through the superannuation system, businesses were able to raise substantial amounts of equity when debt markets dried up during