Commercial lending

The Oklahoma lender said its oil-and-gas portfolio remains a key source of stability and potential growth, despite weaker commodity prices.

At the two big banks, proposed phaseouts of lending for new fossil-fuel exploration drew less shareholder support on Tuesday than they did a year ago. The results were a blow to activists who want big banks to take stronger action to combat climate change.

Rep. Roger Williams, chairman of the House Small Business Committee, says Small Business Administration is considering allowing borrowers to self-certify eligibility for loans, a step some believe could lead to more fraud. The agency declined to say whether that is one of the changes it's considering.

Texas National Bank in Mercedes, Texas, is testing how alternative data can improve the speed and accuracy with which it lends to its small-business customers.

Reacting to a sharp uptick in charge-offs, Synchrony more than doubled its provision for credit losses during the first quarter to account for further shocks along with healthy loan-portfolio growth as more consumers revolve credit card balances.

The head of the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks argues that the special lien status of Home Loan bank advances, created by legislation in the 1980s, is largely irrelevant in today's marketplace.

The hotel, retail and multifamily residential sectors are all showing signs of recovery, which is helping the regional bank. But company executives acknowledged that the firm's relatively large exposure to the office segment figures to pose challenges for some time.

Lofty fertilizer and equipment costs are forecast to cut into profits this year. Farmers are expected to seek loans to cover higher expenses, but bankers are likely to be cautious in granting credit given recessionary pressures.

Kyle Bass's expectation of more pain in the office market reflects a more widespread view that the pandemic has driven a semi-permanent shift toward remote and hybrid work that imperils lower quality buildings.

Billions were lost to fraud during PPP. Now, prosecutors are increasing efforts to recoup taxpayer money, leaving lenders worried they could be put under the microscope next.

Despite growing concerns about fraud, bankers and credit union lenders say PPP provided a crucial source of capital, backstopping the economy as it faced an unprecedented challenge from the pandemic.

Federal Reserve lending data released Friday showed that bank lending declined by the greatest level ever during the end of March, an indicator that credit conditions are worsening.

Lenders are bracing for more companies to fall behind on their loan payments. That could create more opportunities for banks to dispose of these nonperforming credits through an Article 9 sale.

Rising vacancy levels, soaring interest rates and weaknesses exposed by recent bank failures have analysts and investors worried about banks' outsized exposure to high-rise office, apartment and retail properties.

The regulation — mandated more than a decade ago to combat discrimination — will make lenders provide data on approvals and denials of small-business loan applications, the cost of credit and demographics of borrowers.

Lenders had started tightening as early as the fourth quarter in anticipation of a possible recession. Now, the banking crisis is driving community and regional banks in particular to hit the brakes harder, stoking renewed recessions fears.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to issue a small business data collection rule this week, more than a decade after it was mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act to collect data on all small business credit applicants.

Banks with strong underwriting and stress testing should be well positioned to survive the credit and liquidity issues that may come while being able to continue to serve customers.

The $1.25 trillion-asset Home Loan Bank System collectively issued $303.9 billion in discount notes and bonds last week, with demand tapering dramatically from $111.8 billion on Monday to $21.7 billion by Friday.

The system of 11 regional banks issued a combined $137 billion of bonds and discount notes on Tuesday and Wednesday, after selling $112 billion on Monday, the largest single day of issuance in its 90-year history.