The number of financial institutions flocking to the European Central Bank's three-year loans soared to 800 and borrowing rose to a record in an operation that may boost the euro-area economy.

The Frankfurt-based ECB said it will lend banks 529.5 billion euros ($712.2 billion) for 1,092 days, topping the 489 billion euros handed out to 523 institutions in the first three-year operation in December. Economists predicted an allotment of 470 billion euros in today's tender, according to the median of 28 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.

“The astonishing number this time is the number of banks participating, which signals that a lot more small banks looked for the money and it is likely they will pass it on to the economy,” said Laurent Fransolet, head of fixed income strategy at Barclays Capital in London. “So the impact may be bigger than with the first one.”