Commercial Banking News, Strategy & Risk Analysis
American Banker's commercial banking coverage explores how banks serve middle-market and corporate clients, focusing on issues such as interest-rate volatility, regulatory pressure, and intensifying competition for deposits and credit relationships. This section focuses on balance-sheet strategy, commercial lending, treasury and cash management, risk governance, and the technologies reshaping relationship banking.
Learn how institutions are recalibrating growth expectations, managing credit exposure, and using payments and treasury capabilities to deepen client relationships while preserving profitability.
Commercial banking is under structural pressure from higher funding costs, uneven loan demand, and increased supervisory scrutiny. Banks are being forced to prioritize relationship depth, disciplined credit selection, and non-interest income generation rather than balance-sheet expansion alone.
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Total loans increased 6% from a year earlier, driven by gains in the company's asset- and wealth-management arm and corporate and investment bank, though consumer and commercial lending fell. Fees from advising on merger and acquisition deals almost tripled.
October 13
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Executives at Umpqua Holdings and Columbia Banking System said the deal could progress more slowly than usual because of a perceived approval backlog at the Federal Reserve. The two Pacific Northwest-based banks are seeking to combine into a $50 billion-asset company.
October 12
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More banks are boosting salaries to lure and keep workers in a highly competitive hiring market, but the pressure is on to trim expenses elsewhere to offset the pay hikes.
October 12
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Columbia Banking System would be the surviving holding company and retain its Tacoma, Washington, headquarters and the banking unit would be based in Portland, Oregon, and operate under the Umpqua Bank brand.
October 12
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Climate First Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida, is offering loans for condominium improvements that will reduce carbon emissions while fortifying buildings against serious weather events. More banks may implement similar programs in the years ahead.
October 8
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Risk managers are generally not seen as innovators, but Houston's team is playing a critical role in supporting the development of groundbreaking new products aimed at improving customers’ financial health.
October 6
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Seven months into her new role, Fraser is leading a corporatewide restructuring aimed at unifying and simplifying business operations, improving profitability and returning more capital to shareholders.
October 6
