Commercial lending

A shifting C&I landscape, heated competition for deposits and red flags in consumer lending also took center stage in often testy exchanges between bankers and analysts on quarterly earnings calls.

The Arkansas company, which has faced criticism over its concentration in commercial real estate, charged off nearly $46 million tied to a pair of properties in the Carolinas.

The program will focus on increasing lending to small and medium enterprises in Guatemala, Burkina Faso and Kenya.

Commercial and industrial lending rose 8% in the third quarter at the Cleveland bank, but other factors drove its double-digit gain in profits as overall loan growth was modest.

The $286.4 million deal is an important test for Upgrade, which has raised $142 million of equity over the past two years but has yet to turn a profit.

The Portland, Ore, company also benefited from lower expenses and an improved efficiency ratio.

Bigger banks appear to be losing C&I share to small and midsize lenders. That's raising questions about whether community banks — known more for commercial real estate lending — have enough expertise to underwrite deals that larger banks avoid.

Total loans fell, but earnings soared thanks to wider margins, a smaller loan provision and fewer legal costs now that the Wilmington Trust probe is settled.

The Minneapolis company, which reported strong profits but 1% loan growth, is hiring middle-market bankers in New York and launching a digital lending platform aimed at small businesses.

The Dallas bank has picked a bad time to shift from cost-cutting to expansion as big banks are in a commercial lending funk.