Commercial lending

Regulatory shifts and loan growth are some of the hot-button topics banks will seek to address as they start sharing their fourth-quarter reports next week.

The top five banks with the largest portfolios of home equity loans had more than $94 million in loans combined for the third quarter of last year.

Heightened expectations for increased economic activity could boost loan demand after a soft 2024.

The top five banks with the largest portfolios of commercial and industrial loans had more than $1.03 billion when combined.

On her way out the door, SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman issues licenses to four more nondepository lenders.

The Louisiana-based bank reduced its dividend to a penny, the second reduction it has made this year as it tries to bring down expenses and generate more capital.

The bank has hired an advisory firm to assess a potential sale, a capital raise or a strategic partnership after a prior merger fell through.

Banking South Korean companies has become a major pillar of the Los Angeles-based Hanmi's balance sheet, with a portfolio of loans approaching $1 billion.

A bot from nCino lets people in the commercial lending department quickly find information in loan documents and in policy manuals that are hundreds of pages long.

Median growth among small U.S. lenders was 1.2% for the third quarter. Bankers are hoping lower interest rates will boost demand, but borrowers aren't jumping.

The Columbus, Ohio-based regional launched Lift Local Business in October 2020 with a $25 million ceiling. Four years and $133 million later, the program is still going strong.

Analysts say lenders' shares could rally on deregulation, lighter tax burdens and a resurgence of M&A. Declining interest rates and lower loan losses could further bolster bottom lines and attract investor interest.

Lower borrowing costs, reduced exposure to the urban office sector and flattening vacancy rates could collectively save lenders from beleaguered corners of the commercial real estate market.

The Cleveland-based bank now has commercial lending teams in both markets, including a team it recently hired away from Huntington Bancshares.

Treasury yields rose the day after President-elect Donald Trump was picked. The short-term result: It's harder for commercial real estate lenders and borrowers to find common ground.

Agriculture lenders expect more than a third of their borrowers to lose money this year, a development that could result in credit quality deterioration and impacts on banks' bottom lines.

California's banking market, shaken up by big acquisitions and last year's crisis, is drawing financial institutions seeking opportunity.

Senior loan officers polled by the Federal Reserve reported that they further upped their standards for approving credit for customers. But they also signaled that concerns are easing and credit quality is poised for improvement.

The added capital will help the New Jersey-based regional bank reduce its commercial real estate footprint faster and give it wiggle room to grow elsewhere, analysts said.

Leaders at financial institutions said borrower demand should pick back up, if slowly, following Tuesday's vote.