Laura Alix

The Salt Lake City company reported a 21% increase in second-quarter profits, even as its decision to scale back commercial real estate lending muted overall loan growth.

Loan growth, fueled by increased tourism spending, more than offset a sharp drop in fee income at the Honolulu company.

Despite some green shoots in key credit segments, total loan growth was light at many banks last quarter. Rate hikes are threatened, and deposits will get pricier — where will the earnings come from?

The Birmingham, Ala., bank also saw lending decline in the quarter as strategic reductions in certain business lending lines offset gains in C&I and consumer.

Repayments on acquired residential mortgage loans were the main reason, but other bottom-line boosters more than made up for that, the Buffalo, N.Y., bank said in reporting second-quarter results.

Comerica faced aggressive questioning Tuesday about how it could use freed-up capital now that it’s no longer considered a systemically important financial institution. It won’t be the last small regional to get such a grilling this earnings season.

Declines in corporate banking and energy loans were part of the reason loan growth was light, but the Dallas bank reported strong earnings thanks heavily to fatter margins.

After the Cincinnati bank started a personal assistant service for new mothers, it learned new parents needed help with budgeting, and that motivated it to team up with a Goldman Sachs firm to establish a financial wellness program for all its employees.

Jennifer Jackson will succeed Shane Holdaway as head of the Toronto-based unit, which has 1,200 employees.

The final sale price came it at $6.9 billion, or about $900 million more than what the two firms agreed upon when the deal was announced in November.