Finance

Chief Executive Bruce Van Saun said the Rhode Island bank doesn’t “need to be that greedy” after reporting a 34% rise in net interest income during the second quarter. He laid out plans to trim the bank’s sails in both commercial and consumer lending.

The latest expense guidance also stems from rising operating losses at the North Carolina bank. Cost-cutting was a key rationale for the 2019 merger of BB&T and SunTrust, which created Truist.

Bank of America officials say the boost to loan income from rising rates combined with its overhaul of its loan book since the financial crisis will help it weather any potential economic challenges ahead. Analysts had a lot of questions about the bank’s reasoning.

In a quarter filled with economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the New York investment firm’s digital consumer bank achieved record-high revenues. Executives have said they plan to drive up revenues in that segment to $4 billion by 2024.

Net interest income at Bank of America rose 22%, exceeding expectations even in a higher-rate environment. However, net income fell as expenses rose and investment banking revenues fell amid market tumult.

The bank’s Business Essentials platform offers digital accounting management to smaller commercial clients. It comes at a time when banks are hunting for sources of fee income.

The New York megabank has a long way to go on its path toward simplification of its business, but some early investments — such as technology upgrades in the treasury unit, which serves commercial customers — are starting to pay small dividends.

Like other mortgage lenders, the San Francisco megabank has been cutting staff since refinancing volumes started to fall. Additional layoffs are expected over the next couple of quarters, according to the bank’s chief financial officer.

Some scrutinize quarterly reports for details that can help better compete against banks. Others are motivated by schadenfreude.

The Pittsburgh company expects a slowdown in 2023, but executives say they don't think it will prove severe or have an outsized impact on the banking industry.