Reuters reported that borrowing by small U.S. businesses rose marginally in December, suggesting headwinds for economic growth for the first few months of 2013, citing the latest Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index.

The index, which measures the overall volume of financing to small U.S. companies, rose to 112 from an upwardly revised 111.1 in November, PayNet said. Borrowing was up just 1 percent from a year earlier.

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