One-time tax adjustments helped offset ongoing declines in commercial and auto lending at the Cincinnati company.

The bank says it received an “outstanding” rating on its most recent Community Reinvestment Act examination. Its previous rating, a “needs to improve,” not only was bad publicity but restricted its ability to buy banks.

Banks have been in full cost-cutting mode in recent years, but with profits expected to increase substantially as a result of tax reform, all analysts and investors want to know is how they plan to spend their tax savings.

Commercial customers, including small businesses, seem ready to pay up to shift to faster, more sophisticated electronic invoicing and payments, and enterprising banks that provide them the technology to do so could find it lucrative.

After Wells Fargo and Fifth Third said that the looming tax cut will allow them to raise pay, four smaller banks followed suit.

Fifth Third said it will give a bonus or raise to about three-quarters of its employees while Wells Fargo raised its minimum hourly pay in the wake of Congress' passing a tax reform bill.

Fifth Third last bought a bank in 2008, but CEO Greg Carmichael says "strategic bank M&A absolutely makes sense," and the Cincinnati bank is poised to clear up a blot on its regulatory record that blocked dealmaking.

More than 10 months into office, the Trump administration’s takeover of banking regulators is effectively complete – with one notable exception

More than 10 months into office, the Trump administration’s takeover of banking regulators is effectively complete.

The nomination of Jelena McWilliams to chair the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. moves the Trump administration one step closer to completing its team of regulatory appointments in its push to undo former President Obama's post-crisis policies.