Commercial lending

We asked microfinance organizations around the country about the challenges they face, what they wish banks would do differently, and even what they are reading. Here are some of their responses.

Zions beat expectations on several bits of good news, but it reported about $30 million of chargeoffs tied to a single commercial borrower.

Even with net interest margins improving, banks are reluctant to raise rates on deposits until more floating-rate loans reprice. But how long can they wait before depositors start demanding higher yields?

Quarterly earnings at the Wayzata, Minn., company fell as gains from the sale of auto loans continued to slide.

The California company's credit issues eased some in the first quarter, though earnings were down from a year earlier due to charges tied to cost cutting and reductions in three loan categories.

Strong gains in low-cost health savings account balances helped fuel loan growth at the Waterbury, Conn., company.

A Trump administration budget proposal to end federal funding for community development financial institutions would push small businesses to high-risk, high-cost lenders.

Working primarily with community banks, Promontory Local Credit will provide second-lien loans to small firms, potentially increasing their available credit by 50%.

Executives at BB&T, KeyCorp and Citizens are milking commercial lending niches and balancing cost control with new investments while waiting for more rate hikes to fatten margins.

Earnings per share fell a nickel short of estimates due in part to lower-than-expected revenue from the origination and sale of mortgages.

The North Carolina company reported lower net income from a year earlier after extinguishing nearly $3 billion in Federal Home Loan bank advances. BB&T also reported more regulatory charges as it deals with a consent order.

The New York bank has rapidly expanded its commercial real estate lending over the last several years, but now it is ready to slow down a bit and add more commercial and industrial loans to the mix.

Texas Capital Bancshares sharply reduced the size of its loan-loss provision as credit quality improved in its energy loan book. That helped the Dallas bank post a 77% rise in first-quarter profit.

The Mississippi company's first-quarter earnings rose 60% from a year earlier. Its results from last year were weighed down by a settlement with regulators.

New boss Andy Cecere's first year on the job will likely be defined by how he tackles the challenges in front of him, including keeping the company’s highly watched efficiency ratio in check and managing pitfalls in auto-lease financing.

With National Small Business Week set to kick off April 30, American Banker asked several community bankers to share stories of high-impact loans that made a difference in their communities and in their own enthusiasm for the work they do.

Double-digit growth in earning assets more than offset higher expenses and a decline in the net interest margin.

The Mississippi company reported loan growth but a dip in profits after a first-quarter acquisition, and it warned that it is on alert for any new “lag” in the energy sector.

Loan growth and increased fee income helped offset slightly higher expenses in the first quarter.

The hand-wringing over business lending has overshadowed the fact that consumer lending — particularly for regional banks — has become a strong and steady engine of growth.