Kristin Broughton

A well-known Wall Street firm is urging Citigroup to split itself in two for the benefit of investors, adding to the chorus of calls for the biggest banks to be broken up. How much of a difference will it make?

Executives at banks that have not taken advantage of low stock prices to buy up their own shares could get hammered during quarterly earnings calls in April.

Banks reassess the borrowing capacity of oil exploration and production companies twice a year. The spring round of energy loan redeterminations is scheduled to begin in April. Will banks successfully use this process to de-risk?

Their top executives sure don't. Income streams are constrained in every business line, the economic picture remains murky, and big banks are talking about cutting more expenses again.

Green Bancorp Chief Executive Geoff Greenwade, eager to tamp down speculation of a potential sale, stressed during a conference presentation that the Houston company plans to remain independent.

Cordia Bancorp recently sold its student lending platform due to concerns about loan concentrations. In doing so, the Virginia company provided another example of why it is difficult for smaller institutions to gain traction in marketplace lending.

Lenders repeatedly reassured skeptics that their credit risks from the energy slump were under control. But more oil and gas companies are filing for bankruptcy, and more of them are said to be drawing down their credit lines — signaling that the worst may be yet to come.

Bankers in the Bakken Shale region of Montana and North Dakota are keeping an eye on exposure to hotels, apartments and retail space as economic slowdowns occur in energy-producing markets. Bankers in the Marcellus Shale region are also on alert, though there might be less exposure since that region had not yet had a development boom.

JPMorgan Chase chief Jamie Dimon added to his defenses of megabanks, arguing that regional and community banks rely on them. The comments could inflame tensions among banks instead of easing them.

Yes, all the big banks are paring their balance sheets to comply with new rules and axing expenses to please shareholders, but JPMorgan is simultaneously targeting affluent cities for branch and deposit growth.

When Andrew Samuel joined Sunshine Bancorp in 2014, it had a casual culture where growth wasn't a big focus. Less than two years later, he has turned the company into a commercial bank with growth — and acquisitions — firmly in its future.

About 10% of midsize businesses say they want to develop a relationship with nonbank providers, such as marketplace lenders or business development companies, and even more are said to be considering switching banks.

There is concern that a decline in condo pricing could create loan problems similar to those that cropped up before the financial crisis. Bankers in the area, however, believe foreign investors would take the biggest hit.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati said Thursday that it will spend $27.5 billion over the next five years to provide loans and other financial services to underserved communities in its region.

Frandsen Financial took the industry's plan to allow faster payments as a call to action. It invested in automation software, which allowed employees previously bogged down with manual tasks to focus on more meaningful duties.

Evans, soon to retire as CEO of Cullen/Frost Bankers, believes his company is well positioned to withstand the fallout from low oil prices. He is advising his successor to avoid the temptation to panic and focus on the long view.

A number of bankers used quarterly earnings calls to assure investors that they are carefully monitoring their exposure to commercial real estate at a time when regulators are expressed concern about eroding underwriting standards.

It took several weeks, but deposit prices are inching up at a number of banks. Still, most increases will likely be minor until the Fed enacts more rate increases.

The Minnesota company's management team expressed confidence in its ability to monitor risk, even as companies such as BB&T and Fifth Third issue warnings over pricing and returns.

TCF Financial in Wayzata, Minn., reported higher profits on lower provision costs and a pickup in lending in the fourth quarter.