Commercial lending

Second-quarter data for credit quality defied conventional wisdom, but experts said that these numbers are being artificially helped right now and the worst is yet to come.

The flood of liquidity that accompanied the pandemic recession isn’t likely to subside anytime soon. Banks will have to employ a mix of securities buying, hedging and other balance-sheet-management tricks to prop up margins longer than initially imagined.

To date, the Small Business Administration hasn’t acted on tens of thousands of applications that lenders have submitted since early August. However, it will begin doing so by early next week, an official says.

Lenders are disappointed with a low proposed cutoff for blanket forgiveness, but they said the proposal, which waives applications for some loans, is a good first step.

Loan officers surveyed by the central bank said the subpar creditworthiness of some applicants and the ability of others to find credit elsewhere are among reasons the middle-market rescue facility has fizzled.

Kabbage co-founder Kathryn Petralia, whose company is being sold to American Express, discusses government and financial-sector lifelines she says could help businesses that have been hit hardest by the pandemic.

Banks' restaurant and hotel clients in many oceanside communities are seeing an uptick in business as travelers opt for short hops over long hauls during the coronavirus crisis. But activity could slow as colder weather approaches.

Before the pandemic emptied the city, few lenders benefited from the heady local real estate market as much as regional players New York Community Bancorp and Signature Bank. Now they're becoming a case study for potential trouble from a sudden downturn in the Big Apple's property sector.

Commercial real estate loans are vulnerable as financial assistance for tenants winds down and might not be fully renewed. Late rent payments could rise, leading lenders to press landlords to pay up.

The fund will support Community Development Financial Institutions that lend to minority- and women-owned businesses. The Charlotte, N.C., company is the latest big bank to make a large dollar commitment focused on alleviating racial and economic inequality.