Finance

The firm set aside a record $9.5 billion for credit losses, about $4 billion more than analysts had expected, as it braces for a wave of coronavirus-related defaults.

The results show how Wall Street giants such as Citigroup leaned on volatile businesses in the second quarter to counter mounting signs of distress from lending operations.

The country's largest bank said second-quarter profit fell 51% to $4.69 billion, a smaller drop than forecast, as record trading revenue helped counter the biggest loan-loss provision in its history.

With the COVID-19 health pandemic wreaking havoc on jobs, investments, consumer debt and lending, secured credit cards can address a vital need for people who may not have considered the product in the past.

The Federal Reserve's extraordinary effort to keep credit flowing to companies during the COVID-19 pandemic is also shunting money to banks' bottom lines.

The National Credit Union Administration's first-quarter look at credit union performance by state includes several metrics where the industry did not fare well.

Several big bank mergers fell apart after the coronavirus hit. But Bryan Jordan, First Horizon's CEO, said the pandemic validated plans to cut costs and invest more in digital upgrades.

Fueling its market expansion, U.K. earned wage access startup Wagestream has raised £20 million (about $25 million) in a Series B fundraiser from several VC firms.

A report from the trade group shows that state-chartered credit unions saw greater first-quarter membership gains than their federal counterparts and posted lower rates of consolidation.

More than 70% of the industry now has access to the emergency liquidity source, according to the regulator.

Congress and the FDIC are considering easing limits on banks' holdings of such deposits, a move that could inadvertently lead to more expensive failures.

The company said its plan to shutter 12 locations reflects "increased client usage of online and mobile banking and a commitment to improve digital banking technology."

The class A notes, secured by legacy trust-preferreds and subordinated debt of institutions, carry an investment-grade A1 rating from Moody's. That rating is slightly lower than a prior Hildene CDO, due to elevated pandemic risk to bank profitability.

While elevated loan-loss provisions are expected to eat into all banks’ earnings, midsize banks could suffer more than their big-bank rivals because they have fewer revenue drivers. Meanwhile, investors will be watching closely for any signs of dividend cuts stemming from the Federal Reserve’s caps on payouts.

The Arkansas bank is selling its two branches in the state to Merchants & Marine Bancorp and FEB Bancshares.

The Main Street Lending Program is off to a slow start, while the PPP is extended five weeks to distribute the remaining $130 billion in loans; the European regulator is softening its stance to allow more deals.

The report from the regulator offers an industry-wide look at how credit unions have fared during the pandemic. Since the outbreak worsened in April and into May, credit quality could possibly worsen while earnings may sag even further.

During the wave of fintech innovation that has occurred over the past decade or so, innovators have gone without meaningful and reliable access to the financial data and processing ecosystem.

The credit union regulator has not yet announced an agenda, but the meeting could potentially include mattes related to field of membership and risk-based net worth.

In spite of the pandemic, the Columbus, Ohio-based corporate credit union was able to return the funds to some owners on the strength of strong earnings through the firs two quarters.