Retail & Commercial

The goal is to add customers and prop up borrowing until business travel rebounds and consumers burn through their excess cash, CEO Roger Hochschild says.

The retail consolidation in Midwestern markets will also support the bank’s branch expansion in Atlanta, Charlotte and other fast-growing cities across the Southeast.

The company has long focused on customers with ties to the two states. But as it emerges from the pandemic seeking new lending opportunities, CEO Rajinder Singh says, “We are looking at markets from Boston all the way down to Atlanta.”

The Rhode Island bank joins a small group of financial institutions offering corporate clients the chance to park their cash reserves in environmentally friendly projects.

A flurry of activity in recent weeks has prompted chatter on earning calls about banks’ merger ambitions. While some CEOs bemoaned high asking prices, others said they are making more inquiries, identifying targets and, in some cases, closing in on deals.

Comerica, which focuses on the energy sector, reported strong payment trends last quarter, while M&T, which concentrates more on real estate, showed deterioration. The divergence reflects varying exposures to sectors hit hard by the COVID-19 recession.

Tanya Sanders, who joined the company in 2019, takes the reins as the division's loan growth is on an upswing. She will succeed Laura Schupbach, who is retiring after 26 years at Wells.

The Detroit company, one of the nation's largest car lenders, enjoyed a surge in profits during the second quarter, largely due to strong consumer demand for vehicles. But how long will the good times last?

The Pittsburgh company offset relatively flat revenue and lending in the second quarter with strong service charges, wealth management fees and a $1.1 million reserve release.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency confirmed it will rescind an unpopular rule overhauling the Community Reinvestment Act and joined other agencies in calling for a renewed interagency effort.