Commercial lending

A coalition of 105 organizations has analyzed the flow of financing to large, greenhouse-gas-emitting livestock operations and found these three banks do the bulk of loans. 

The regional bank has already seen a large reduction in "criticized" loans, and it expects that trend to pick up as lower borrowing costs alleviate the pain in the commercial real estate sector.

The bank faced credit setbacks in the nation's capital and margin pressure this year. But it made a series of hires to reduce risk and diversify its loan portfolio, preparing for a new era of demand as the industry awaits interest rate cuts.

The Minneapolis-based banking giant is enjoying its biggest year ever for 7(a) lending, with volume up 40%, as borrowers "are still coming to us," its SBA chief said.

Prophecies about a wave of bank failures caused by sickly CRE loans haven't yet come true. But there are still plenty of caution signs in a saga that will take years to play out.

The deal to buy the First of Long Island Corp. would create a $14 billion-asset bank with $11 billion of both loans and deposits.

A survey of 135 financial services companies conducted by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a subsidiary of LexisNexis, found that a vast majority reported increased levels of fraud in 2023.

Cannabis is becoming a big business in the U.S., but companies in the field still struggle to find financing. A broadly accepted way of assessing their creditworthiness would be a huge help.

Trimont CEO Bill Sexton acknowledges that a "daunting" volume of commercial real estate loans need to be refinanced in the next few years. But he says nonbank lenders are well equipped to provide financing that will allow troubled buildings to be reimagined.

Bridgewater Bancshares agreed to acquire First Minnetonka Bancorp. in an all-cash transaction slated to close in the fourth quarter. It would create a nearly $5 billion-asset bank.

A federal judge excoriated banks for inflating data in a challenge to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's data collection on small-business loans.

Lower interest rates could bolster loan demand, credit quality and securities portfolios. But they could also curb lending profitability faster than they ease deposit costs, crimping net interest margins and eating into near-term profits.

The stock prices of banks that have large exposure to commercial real estate loans surged after comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. His remarks could be a sign that relief is coming on both sides of those banks' balance sheets.

Increased demand from borrowers may hinge on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and his colleagues cutting interest rates this fall.

A representative of America's Credit Unions takes issue with a recent article suggesting that credit union commercial lending is excessively risky.

The stock swoon of early August, however, raises red flags and could delay an anticipated rise in loan demand for banks in need of stronger interest income, analysts caution.

The same creativity and flexibility that community development financial institutions bring to business lending ought to be applied to financing affordable housing.

The Long Island-based thrift, long associated with multifamily and CRE lending, saw business lending spike the past year as it onboarded 15 banking teams. Other banks that did significant hiring have also reported more deposits and wider margins.

The agency admitted navigating the different rules and regulations involved in its four existing lines of credit proved time consuming and confusing and kept some lenders from offering them altogether.

After a bloodbath that wiped out several trucking companies, a new U.S. Bank report on the industry signals its fortunes may be turning. The rebound, if sustained, may end the bleeding in bank loans to the sector.