Other acquisitive executives, however, say that interest rate cuts have hastened already-active deal discussions, as more banks seek scale and business line diversity.

The Detroit company's charge-offs on consumer auto loans rose sharply last quarter. Its CEO said he's confident losses will decline, but the next few quarters "will be choppy."

The Arkansas bank said CRE is no longer its principal growth driver, yet it is still the bank's most prominent business and a big part of its robust lending activity.

The credit card lender's earnings beat analyst expectations, but it also reported weakness in spending and higher late payments. Amex boss Steve Squeri said consumers are "resilient" and credit remains strong.

Executives at the Alabama-based bank said the aftermath of Nov. 5 will hopefully provide a sense of certainty that coaxes companies into jump-starting their strategic plans.

The Cincinnati-based bank aimed for consistency in the third quarter as it built on strategic initiatives. Executives expect "record" net interest income next year.

Though still feeling the effects of margin compression, the Columbus, Ohio-based company reported solid growth in loans and fee income and is projecting record spread income next year.

The Dallas bank has spent the last three years building itself into a new company. Now, it has to prove the investments will pay off.

The North Carolina-based company expects its revenue to outpace expenses next year — a goal that has proven elusive over the five years of Truist's existence.

The Buffalo, New York-based bank said its commercial real estate portfolio continued to shrink, but this was more than offset by business and consumer lending.