Commercial lending

Harborstone Credit Union in suburban Lakewood, Washington, plans to buy Savi Financial. That's seven deals in less than three months this year; the highest full-year total was 16 in 2022.

A key bank stock index ticked up after the Federal Reserve hinted that it could lower rates later this year. But there are still a number of economic uncertainties that are holding shareholders back.

The Cleveland-based regional bank is shedding credit risk in a partnership with the private equity giant Blackstone. It's the latest tie-up between asset managers and regional banks that are looking to free up balance-sheet capacity.

It will take time for the banking industry to work through issues with CRE loans, Brian Moynihan says in discussing the aftermath of last year's banking crisis and New York Community Bancorp's recent warning about its exposure to troubled debt.

Some 54% of small businesses said in a recent survey that elevated rates had led to higher debt payments. And in a sign that loan demand remains soft, 37% reported delaying expansion plans or capital spending.

The troubled Long Island-based lender laid out steps that it's taking to improve its loan-review process. The remediation efforts follow a massive loan provision last quarter, which led to a management shake-up and a $1 billion rescue led by former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

The new team at Dime Community Bancshares intends to attract funding from an array of niche business segments, including medical billing, so-called death care services and hedge funds.

The agency had intended to block access to tax data by most lenders on June 30 as part of a policy change that sought to protect taxpayer privacy. But drew broad opposition from the financial services industry.

The Long Island-based lender has released a number of new details about its reconfiguration following a $1 billion capital injection led by two former Trump administration officials.

Midsize lenders have largely defied the most dire predictions following Silicon Valley Bank's demise. But the nation's largest banks still have structural advantages, and the regionals remain hampered by their real-estate heavy portfolios and the continuing impact of high interest rates.