Commercial lending

ApplePie Capital, a new marketplace lender that specializes in lending to franchises, has officially opened for business.

The FDIC welcomed seven new members to a committee on Wednesday that will provide recommendations on policy and regulatory issues affecting community banks.

Big banks and institutional investors picked up the pace of loan approvals for small businesses in January, while small banks and alternative lenders continued to see their approval rates decline, according to a monthly lending index.

Banks stayed away from construction lending for years after it collapsed and contributed to the financial crisis. But low interest rates and other factors have gotten some developments off the ground, leading to construction lending's comeback.

Flushing Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., has expanded its business banking operations to Manhattan.

Lenders have purged bad loans and low interest rates are fueling new projects. Yet many bankers still view C&D loans as risky and are eager to stress that they will steer clear of the boom.

Alternative finance marketplace Lending Club has entered into an agreement with the U.S. branch of Alibaba to offer financing to American businesses to buy parts from Chinese manufacturers through the Alibaba marketplace.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has received regulatory approval to form a broker-dealer subsidiary that will expand its merchant banking capabilities.

Small business alternative lender Biz2Credit has added Fortis Payments to its roster of payment partners.

Great Western Bancorp in Sioux Falls, S.D., reported lower profit in its first quarter since completing its initial public offering.

After a surprising fall swoon, demand for commercial loans bounced back in December. Lenders, meanwhile, are paying much more attention to how falling energy prices could impact loan portfolios.

Astoria Financial in Lake Success, N.Y., reported higher quarterly profit that benefitted from a sizable reserve release.

Banks like Cullen/Frost and BOK Financial say they have found one, in the form of higher energy-sector loan balances last quarter and the chance to finance consolidation among oil firms. But such spurts may only mask longer-term problems.

EverBank Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., reported higher quarterly results largely because of increased commercial originations.

Marketplace lenders are seizing on current investor enthusiasm after the December public listing of LendingClub. SoFi and Funding Circle have set new origination targets, and new capital markets deals may help replace bank credit lines for Blue Elephant Capital Management and perhaps others.

Aiming to address a nationwide shortage of affordable housing, FHA has launched a risk-sharing pilot program that it hopes will encourage community development lenders to finance the rehabilitation of smaller multifamily apartments.

Big banks had a forgettable fourth quarter thanks to old problems like tight margins and new ones like the collapse in oil prices, but executives who could fall back on products such as credit cards, insurance and investment banking had something to brag on.

Carroll Bancorp in Sykesville, Md., has raised $5.1 million through a private placement of its common stock.

Peer-to-peer and institution-to-small business loan marketplace Funding Circle launched a new fractional loan marketplace today, the San Francisco company announced.

Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported a sharp rise in fourth-quarter profit on loan growth, lower expenses, improved credit quality and other factors.