Commercial lending

Fifth Third is partnering with Provide and Panacea Financial works with Sonabank in Virginia to meet the specialized needs of medical professionals who own their own practices.

The Columbus, Ohio, company says it has delivered on M&A promises before, and many observers say its deal for rival TCF Financial is an opportunistic move in its bid to build a Midwestern powerhouse. But others questioned whether Huntington's cost-cutting and profit expectations are too optimistic.

The Amarillo company is buying First National Bank of Tahoka, continuing the industry’s consolidation in the state.

The architects of two major loan deals featuring Black banks, one involving multiple lenders and a pro sports franchise and another backed by Citigroup, say more transactions like these are in the works.

Their $35 million refinancing of the Atlanta Hawks’ training complex is being touted as the first time that a professional sports team has secured a loan underwritten exclusively by Black banks.

The emergence of vaccines has boosted travel forecasts — and crude prices. The expected bump at the pump could help oil and gas companies get back on track with loan payments.

Time and again, Janet Yellen has warned Wall Street is piling a dangerous amount of debt onto the balance sheets of risky U.S. businesses. But as she prepares to take over as Treasury secretary, she may find it difficult to do anything quickly to rein in these markets, experts say.

The Biden administration could curtail federal support for farmers, even with bankruptcies and requests for loan workouts on the rise. Banks are hoping that increases in crop prices and exports to China could help avert a credit crisis.

A program that lets firms bundle Small Business Administration loans is on hold while Congress spars over a new budget. The impasse is causing headaches for banks that rely on loan sales for fee income.

Lawmakers need to create a coronavirus relief program targeting owners of smaller businesses facing more hardship than larger competitors that received much of the aid from the Paycheck Protection Program.