The top executives at some of the nation's largest banks spoke Tuesday about their expectations for the second Trump administration. Deregulation, capital rules, tariffs and inflation were all prominent topics.

The Pittsburgh-based superregional bank reported a small quarter-over-quarter advance in net interest income, and it expects loan growth to pick up in the second half of the year. PNC, which announced job cuts last year, also said that it has identified an additional $25 million in cost savings.

The Pittsburgh-based regional bank also emphasized expense control for the first quarter and throughout 2024 as it manages credit quality vulnerabilities and higher charge-offs, particularly among office loans.

Bill Demchak, in a panel hosted by Brookings on Tuesday, said that last year's bank failures wouldn't have happened if the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had been the supervisor.

In the wake of the largest U.S. bank deal in more than 15 years, industry executives offered mixed views about the prospects for more big acquisitions. They also spoke about the deal's impact on competition in the credit card business.

The Pittsburgh company says its new president, Michael Lyons, will report to William Demchak, who will continue as chairman and chief executive. Lyons is positioned to become PNC's next CEO someday, observers said.

After focusing on cost control throughout much of 2023, including a round of job cuts, the Pittsburgh company has announced plans to expand in high-growth markets like Texas and refurbish more than 1,200 existing offices.

Financial institutions, led by the biggest U.S. banks and regional lenders, have dominated high-grade issuance, making up over 60% of the $149 billion that has priced so far this month.