The recent increase in home equity lending will not threaten banks’ investor ratings in the next three years, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service. The compound annual growth rate of HELOC holdings by banks and thrifts was 43.5 percent over the 2001 to 2004 period, according to the report, “The Growth of Home-Equity Lending in US Banks—Is It a Cause for Concern?” In contrast, closed-end home-equity loans recorded a compound annual growth…