Finance

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.

Second-quarter profits fell 27% to $4.5 billion in what's shaping up as a tough quarter for many large banks. Yet investors responded favorably to Citigroup's unexpectedly large hauls from currencies, commodities and interest rates trading and its shuttling of corporate money over borders.

Wells Fargo missed analysts’ earnings estimates as home lending slowed and the bank set aside more than expected for potentially soured loans as the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes started to cool the once-hot housing market.

The San Francisco bank reported a 31% increase in loan originations during the second quarter. Analysts are wondering whether it will be able to secure enough low-cost funds to avoid eroding margins.

Credit quality at the largest U.S. bank by assets remains strong for now, but a top executive issued a warning about what may lie ahead.

The buyback pause is meant to allow the bank to get to a 13.2% common equity Tier 1 ratio by next March, comfortably clearing a higher bar recently set by regulators. Meanwhile, net income fell 28% to $8.6 billion in the second quarter.

Consumers are feeling less confident about their economic prospects, and investors worry their loan repayments will slow. Those fears have led to large drops in stock prices for consumer finance companies, particularly for those who lend to borrowers with lower credit scores.

Almost 100% of small-bank executives who responded to a recent IntraFi survey say they expect the U.S. economy to fall into a recession by next year. The top reason why: an overcorrection by the Federal Reserve as the central bank tries to tame inflation.

Crypto startups finally felt the effects of an economic storm that has been cooling digital currencies, public stocks and venture capital all year. Funding to private crypto companies in the second quarter fell to its lowest level in a year, according to data from PitchBook.

The online consumer lender touts its AI-based underwriting models as a key strength, but analysts say larger-than-expected losses on some of its loans are contributing to funding pressures.

Dermot McDonogh will be the custody bank's chief financial officer, as incoming CEO Robin Vince starts making his mark. The two each spent more than two decades at Goldman Sachs.

Amid reduced M&A activity, U.S. middle-market borrowers and investors in asset-backed securities are trying to reset and figure out where the right valuations levels are, says Sengal Selassie, CEO of Brightwood Capital Advisors, a lender and issuer of CLOs.

Data as of Mar. 31, 2022. Dollars in thousands.

The fast-paced rise in rates should be good for banks — until it isn't. The higher interest earned on loan payments will at some point be offset by higher interest paid on deposits. The only questions are: When, and by how much?

Questions remain around switching benchmarks that could result in unexpected refinancings

The Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes are leading corporate clients to demand higher deposit rates, according to industry consultants. Some banks are better positioned than others to weather the changing landscape.

Klarna Bank is in talks to raise new equity at a valuation as low as $6 billion, a fraction of the $45.6 billion it commanded last summer as it became Europe’s most valuable startup, according to people with knowledge of the matter.