UBS Group AG is expected to announce soon that it's fully integrating Credit Suisse's domestic bank, ending months of speculation about the future of the business.

East West Bancorp chief Dominic Ng long faced skepticism from analysts who had questioned his conservative approach to capital allocations — a strategy that has helped his Pasadena-based bank weather decades of ups and downs in the banking industry and survive amid the collapse of other California banks this spring.

The country's Big Six banks are seen as likely to continue struggling as they contend with deteriorating consumer finances and rising internal costs.

Many depositors have "shifted their funds into higher-interest-bearing accounts, increasing banks' funding costs," S&P wrote in a note summarizing the moves.

The job cuts come amid caution about the industry's growth potential in the second half of the year. Some 45,000 positions have been lost in banking and related industries over the last two-plus years.

The New York megabank is considering splitting its institutional clients group division into three parts following the upcoming departure of top executive Paco Ybarra, the Financial Times reported. The heads of the three segments would report directly to CEO Jane Fraser.

Tighter credit standards and lower demand for business loans could make it harder for the Fed to achieve the soft landing it's seeking. Still, bankers are cautiously optimistic, noting that some businesses are using their savings to invest at a time when borrowing costs are high.