There was little sign of a slowdown in third-quarter earnings gains Wednesday, as major banks around the country reported results boosted by strong loan growth.
Profits at BankAmerica Corp., San Francisco, rose 29% to $704 million, while net income at Minneapolis-based Norwest Corp., hit $245 million, up 20.8%.
At Providence, R.I.-based Fleet Financial Group, earnings jumped to $177 million, up 8%. Profits at Republic New York Corp. were up 4% to $95.2 million.
PNC Bank Corp., Pittsburgh, was the exception to the rule, reporting a 21% decline in earnings to $149 million. The sharp drop came from a 26% fall in net interest income.
The latest earnings increases confirmed trends at other large banks, which also benefited from more loan-making and a general trend in lower or even expenses.
At BankAmerica, chairman and chief executive Richard M. Rosenberg noted that although earnings reflected several underlying trends, "loan outstandings continued to increase and expenses remained at an appropriate level."
Net interest income rose 13% at BankAmerica to $252 million. The increase came almost entirely from a 15% jump in loans, to $148.8 billion, since net interest margins remained essentially unchanged at 4.52%.
Noninterest income rose 8% to $1.16 billion, mainly due to higher revenues from service charges on deposit accounts and increased loan syndications.
Noninterest expense fell $60 million, due to a reduction in Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. premiums. Asset quality continued to show further improvement, with total nonaccrual assets down $115 million to $1.86 billion. Total assets rose slightly more than 7% to $230 billion.
Net interest income at Norwest showed a similar increase, rising by more than 16% to $848 million on an 18% leap in net loans and leases to $35.7 billion.
The Midwestern financial "superstore" explained a decline in net interest margins as the result of "a change in the earning asset mix to relatively lower-yielding mortgages and securities held for sale." The net interest margin dropped from 5.76% in last year's third quarter to 5.59%.
But consolidated noninterest income surged 29% at Norwest, to $489.4 million. This came mainly as a result of increased fee income, insurance revenues, and lower levels of investment securities losses.
Norwest did not follow the national trend of lower expenses at large banks. Its noninterest expense rose 14.6% to $872 million, due to acquisitions, while total interest expense increased 56% to $636.4 million. Total assets rose 26% to $71.4 billion.
Republic New York registered a 10% increase in total interest income to $613 million, but net interest income after provisions for loan losses fell 7% to $200.6 million.
The decline came from a 21% rise in total interest expense to $409.4 million. Like Norwest, Republic did not conform to the industry-wide pattern of lower expenses.
Operating income at the New York bank holding company fell half a percent to $96.8 million. The decline in both net interest income and other operating income was significantly offset by a more than 5% decrease in other operating expenses to $162 million, and an $8 million decline in income taxes to $40 million.
Republic said last month it had agreed to acquire Brooklyn Bancorp Inc., the parent of CrossLand Federal Savings Bank for $530 million in cash. The acquisition will add more than $4 billion in assets to Republic's existing $35 billion.
In Providence, Fleet Financial chairman and CEO Terrence Murray attributed the improvement in the bank holding company's earnings to growth in core revenues coupled with improved cost control. The Fleet executive added that increased mortgage production and servicing revenue also helped boost earnings.
Net interest income at Fleet rose slightly from $505 million to $510 million. Noninterest income rose steeply by 22% to $341 million.
Fleet is in the process of acquiring Shawmut National Corp., based in Hartford and Boston, a deal that should be completed by yearend. Shawmut reported a 7% increase in third-quarter profits Wednesday, to $91.4 million.
PNC's earnings contrasted sharply with the generally positive results of banks across the country. Although its results represented a double-digit decline in the third quarter, year-over-year, PNC's profits were up nearly 9% from the $137 million posted in the second quarter.
Some of PNC's decline was due to a decrease in the net interest margin to 2.61% from 3.45% a year earlier. Excluding acquisitions, average loans rose 6.4% to $36.8 billion.
PNC's noninterest income showed dramatic gains, rising 24.3% to $56.2 million. Noninterest expenses showed further improvement, declining $3.1 million to $432.8 million.
In July, PNC agreed to merge with the $14 billion-asset Midlantic Corp., based in Edison, N.J.
PNC chairman and chief executive Thomas H. O'Brien said the acquisition, combined with PNC's purchase of Chemical Bank New Jersey, should help the bank improve earnings by adding a stable base of core deposits and consumer assets. +++
Republic New York Corp. Dollar amounts in millions (except per share) Third Quarter 3Q95 3Q94 Net income $95.2 $91.4 Per share 1.55 1.50 ROA 0.83% 0.78% ROE 15.47% 16.84% Net interest margin 2.56% 2.71% Net interest income 203.6 218.2 Noninterest income 97.8 97.3 Noninterest expense 162.2 172.8 Loss provision 3.0 3.0 Net chargeoffs 4.0 (1.7) Year to Date 1995 1994 Net income $193.8 $250.6 Per share 3.05 4.15 ROA 0.54% 0.74% ROE 10.64% 14.97% Net interest margin 2.65% 2.64% Net interest income 608.9 628.4 Noninterest income 315.9 295.2 Noninterest expense 652.4 539.9 Loss provision 9.0 16.0 Net chargeoffs 15.5 8.8 Balance Sheet 9/30/95 9/30//94 Assets $41,637.0 $41,210.0 Deposits 23,133.0 22,226.0 Loans 9,810.0 9,384.0 Reserve/nonp. loans 585.23% 544.28% Nonperf. loans/loans 0.55% 0.63% Nonperf. assets/assets 0.20% 0.21% Nonperf. assets/loans + OREO NA NA Leverage cap. ratio 6.30%* 6.00% Tier 1 cap. ratio 17.00%* 15.80% Tier 1+2 cap. ratio 28.75%* 26.91%
*Estimated
PNC Bank Corp. Pittsburgh Dollar amounts in millions (except per share) Third Quarter 3Q95 3Q94 Net income $149.0 $188.0 Per share 0.64 0.79 ROA 0.96% 1.20% ROE 13.42% 17.15% Net interest margin 2.61% 3.45% Net interest income 372.8 503.2 Noninterest income 287.3 231.1 Noninterest expense 432.8 435.9 Loss provision 0.0 10.0 Net chargeoffs (18.0) (16.0) Year to Date 1995 1994 Net income $411.7 $581.5 Per share 1.77 2.44 ROA 0.89% 1.29% ROE 12.61% 18.04% Net interest margin 2.64% 3.57% Net interest income 1,135.5 1,510.4 Noninterest income 789.4 717.9 Noninterest expense 1,296.6 1,281.1 Loss provision 00.0 60.1 Net chargeoffs (60.0) (67.0) Balance Sheet 9/30/95 9/30/94 Assets $61,218.0 $64,004.0 Deposits 33,013.0 33,569.0 Loans 36,815.0 35,700.0 Reserve/nonp. loans 346.28% 281.35% Nonperf. loans/loans 0.74% 1.03% Nonperf. assets/assets 0.67% 0.80% Nonperf. assets/loans
+ OREO 1.10% 1.44%
Leverage cap. ratio 6.45% NA Tier 1 cap. ratio 8.30%* NA Tier 1+2 cap. ratio 11.90%* NA
*Estimated
Norwest Corp. Minneapolis Dollar amounts in millions (except per share) Third Quarter 3Q95 3Q94 Net income $245.2 $196.1 Per share 0.69 0.61 ROA 1.43% 1.45% ROE 22.30% 21.10% Net interest margin 5.59% 5.76% Net interest income 848.1 721.9 Noninterest income 489.4 379.4 Noninterest expense 871.9 760.5 Loss provision 86.5 41.6 Net chargeoffs 85.9 44.0 Year to Date 1995 1994 Net income $696.3 $595.5 Per share 2.01 1.79 ROA 1.45% 1.46% ROE 22.40% 21.40% Net interest margin 5.58% 5.64% Net interest income 2,406.7 2,090.7 Noninterest income 1,337.3 1,200.4 Noninterest expense 2,458.8 2,288.6 Loss provision 216.5 101.6 Net chargeoffs 208.3 120.6 Balance Sheet 9/30/95 9/30/94 Assets $71,411.9 $56,565.4 Deposits 39,691.1 34,749.8 Loans 36,554.80 32,970.5 Reserve/nonp. loans 650.30% 604.88% Nonperf. loans/loans 0.36% 0.40% Nonperf. assets/assets 0.24% 0.31% Nonperf. assets/loans
+ OREO 0.46% 0.56% Leverage cap. ratio 5.74% 6.87% Tier 1 cap. ratio 8.01% 9.96% Tier 1+2 cap. ratio 10.10% 12.34%
Fleet Financial Group Providence Dollar amounts in millions (except per share) Third Quarter 3Q95 3Q94 Net income $177.4 $163.9 Per share 1.08 1.01 ROA 1.41% 1.30% ROE 17.91% 20.08% Net interest margin 4.63% 4.45% Net interest income 509.7 504.7 Noninterest income 341.0 280.2 Noninterest expense 523.4 494.1 Loss provision 27.3 10.6 Net chargeoffs 41.2 18.7 Year to Date 1995 1994 Net income $513.7 $447.7 Per share 3.14 2.70 ROA 1.42% 1.22% ROE 18.69% 17.87% Net interest margin 4.72% 4.62% Net interest income 1,513.6 1,529.2 Noninterest income 1,010.3 845.2 Noninterest expense 1,569.4 1,548.1 Loss provision 75.1 45.0 Net chargeoffs 122.2 71.6 Balance Sheet 9/30/95 9/30/94 Assets $50,861.0 $46,988.0 Deposits 32,436.0 33,612.0 Loans 30,801.0 27,006.0 Reserve/nonp. loans 186.65% 226.93% Nonperf. loans/loans 1.63% 1.58% Nonperf. assets/assets 1.14% 1.12% Nonperf. assets/loans + OREO 1.88% 1.94% Leverage cap. ratio 7.60% 7.00% Tier 1 cap. ratio 9.50% 10.60% Tier 1+2 cap. ratio 13.40% 15.00%
BankAmerica Corp. San Francisco Dollar amounts in millions (except per share) Third Quarter 3Q95 3Q94 Net income $704.0 $547.0 Per share 1.72 1.35 ROA 1.21% 1.07% ROE 14.14% 12.17% Net interest margin 4.52% 4.51% Net interest income 2,170.0 1,916.0 Noninterest income 1,157.0 1,072.0 Noninterest expense 1,993.0 1,935.0 Loss provision 110.0 110.0 Net chargeoffs 151.0 106.0 Year to Date 1995 1994 Net income $1,960.0 $1,585.0 Per share 4.72 3.93 ROA 1.16% 1.07% ROE 13.47% 12.28% Net interest margin 4.53% 4.49% Net interest income 6,345.0 5,547.0 Noninterest income 3,388.0 3,087.0 Noninterest expense 6,035.0 5,534.0 Loss provision 310.0 360.0 Net chargeoffs 358.0 434.0 Balance Sheet 9/30/95 9/30/94 Assets $229,926.0 $214,230.0 Deposits 155,637.0 152,666.0 Loans 151,212.0 138,691.0 Reserve/nonp. loans 187.05% 165.07% Nonperf. loans/loans 1.29% 1.58% Nonperf. assets/assets 0.85% 1.03% Nonperf. assets/loans + OREO NA NA Leverage cap. ratio 6.89%* 6.59% Tier 1 cap. ratio 7.20%* 7.18% Tier 1+2 cap. ratio 11.40%* 11.54%
*Estimated ===
