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.

Commercial real estate companies are among those left out of the Federal Reserve’s middle-market relief program, but House members said they need government-backed financing to navigate the pandemic as much as anyone.

It's been six weeks since the Paycheck Protection Program expired and banks started filing forgiveness applications on behalf of borrowers. So why isn't the Small Business Administration responding?

Banks reported decent loan growth in the spring and early summer as businesses rushed to draw down credit lines and tap the Paycheck Protection Program. But demand has been muted since, and bankers can only guess when it will pick back up.

With only a fraction of the funds allocated being used, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank is considering tweaks to the middle-market rescue program in an appeal to lenders wary of taking on added risk.

Congress should pass legislation that would allow Home Loan banks to backstop deposits by local governments at commercial banks and lower the cost of bond financing, two mayors argue.

The agency finally detailed how it may implement congressional requirements to collect information on credit to small businesses. Lenders below certain asset thresholds and that make few business loans could be off the hook.

The two biggest U.S. banks trimmed expectations for net interest income as low rates and tepid loan growth weigh on revenue.

The bureau will detail how it will implement a Dodd-Frank Act provision requiring the agency to collect information on small-business lending in order to identify discrimination.

The performance of about $3 billion in hotel and other loans flagged by the Dallas company as high-risk has been a "a pleasant surprise," its chief credit officer said at an industry conference.

On Jun. 30, 2020. Dollars in thousands.