Corporate finance

The Federal Housing Finance Agency's report on the system at 100 years old signals major shifts in both policy and structure are on the horizon.

In her first remarks since the release of a sweeping report on the banks, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson urges them to strengthen underwriting and communication with their members' regulators.

Share prices climbed sharply amid increased optimism about the outlook for interest rates. Regional banks that got hammered earlier this year were among the biggest winners.

The 10 largest U.S. banks based on most assets had combined total earnings of more than $40 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

In its biannual report on supervision and regulation, the Federal Reserve Board noted an uptick in governance issues with large banks. Regional and community banks, meanwhile, were plagued by IT problems and risk management struggles.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson is pushing for a quick launch of pilot programs at the 11 Federal Home Loan banks to help underserved communities after its report this week prescribed major reforms to the system.

Changes being considered by the Federal Housing Finance Agency would make liquidity more expensive and complicated to obtain. But first, those reforms will have to overcome the political power of a wide range of financial institutions that benefit from the status quo.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency says it wants to more closely tether Federal Home Loan bank advances to housing and community development. Doing so will first involve clearly defining the banks' mission through regulation.

The company missed revenue projections, and it's trying to tap other funding strategies amid a "difficult lending environment."

The Swedish buy now/pay later lender posted the firm's first quarterly profit in about four years, but an ongoing labor dispute raised questions about the company's future operations.

The San Carlos, California, consumer lender said it's "exploring strategic options" for its credit card portfolio, discontinuing its investment and retirement products and sunsetting a partnership with Sezzle in addition to embarking on a new round of job cuts.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said in a long-awaited report that it will set up new guardrails for the Federal Home Loan Banks to ensure that the institutions are serving a housing-centric mission.

The Zurich-based bank posted a net loss of $785 million for the three months to September, its first quarterly loss in almost six years, as costs to absorb Credit Suisse came in at $2 billion. However, client inflows in its wealth management business — which included $3 billion of that was at Credit Suisse's wealth arm — exceeded expectations.

More banks are selling their underwater bond portfolios at a loss, crystallizing what were previously losses on paper only. Though the maneuver brings some short-term pain, the banks expect to make the money back over time.

Taking the reins again as chief executive of Block following the recent departure of CEO Alyssa Henry, Jack Dorsey has launched internal changes to jump-start growth, eliminate silos and promote the use of artificial intelligence.

Alex Chriss, the new chief executive, says the firm aims to reverse its stock slump by assessing its business to favor its best-performing products.

Citing the need to conserve capital, Blue Ridge Bankshares indefinitely extended a dividend suspension that it announced in July. The bank remains well-capitalized, but it saw its ratios shrink in the third quarter.

The island state's biggest banks — which reported lower profits in the third quarter — say it is too soon to fully assess the economic fallout from the deadly August wildfires. The rebuilding effort could boost near-term deposit growth and long-term loan demand, they said.

The neobank is also benefiting from its product diversity.

The San Antonio bank reported a 14% increase in noninterest expenses and a 7% jump in loans. "We're not trying to be successful by shrinking," said CEO Phil Green.