While branch closings remain the norm throughout the industry, the hunt for suddenly scarce deposits is prompting some community banks to move in the opposite direction and expand their branch networks.

The McLean, Virginia-based bank is building its deposit base — in contrast with many banks that are starting to see outflows. But the growth is accompanied by rising interest expenses, which are expected to cut modestly into profit margins this year.

The loan-growth projections are for Columbia Banking System itself, before the Tacoma, Washington, bank officially merges with Umpqua Holdings. The $5 billion deal is scheduled to close Feb. 28.

Members of the American Bankers Association's Economic Advisory Committee expect gross domestic product to stall in 2023. Other surveys show a modest contraction. Lenders say sentiment among their borrowers also points to a slight slowdown.

The Dallas-based company says noninterest expenses should grow by low double digits in 2023 now that the bulk of the investments related to its business transformation have been incurred.

The declining credit quality included more borrowers with higher credit scores falling behind on their credit card payments. But executives said the increase remains within expectations as it continues seeing "very linear normalization" in credit.

The custody giant benefited from rising interest rates, which helped offset choppy financial markets and a decline in fee income.

Morgan Stanley decreased Chief Executive James Gorman's compensation by 10% to $31.5 million for 2022, a year in which profit tumbled and the shares sank.

The Birmingham, Alabama, bank expects up to $5 billion in additional deposit declines in the first half of 2023 but is hopeful for potential growth in funding later this year.

The parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, which has been mired in deposit challenges, expects little near-term change in the deployment of venture capital dollars, which executives say will keep putting pressure on SVB's balance sheet.

More consumers are struggling to pay their auto loans from Detroit-based Ally, but CEO Jeffrey Brown says executives "feel very good" about their preparations for a downturn. Investors appeared to like his message as its stock jumped 19%.

The Ohio bank posted strong fourth-quarter earnings and, while it expects activity to ease some, it envisions continued strong loan growth in the year ahead.

The Cincinnati bank expects net interest income growth to cool considerably and fee income to tread water as rate hikes slow and inflation moderates but still continues.

CEO Bill Rogers stopped short of confirming or denying speculation that the bank is seeking a buyer for part of the unit.

Cleveland-based KeyCorp posts a subdued profit in the wake of a loan loss provision that was more than six times greater than the level of fourth-quarter net charge-offs.

The Buffalo, New York, bank expects outstanding loans to grow by as much as 9% in 2023. Deposits, on the other hand, could fall.

The Dallas-based bank, whose deposit base is more commercial-focused, has seen significant outflows in deposits over the past year. But last quarter's declines were "better than we expected," and there are other signs that the environment may moderate this year, its CFO said.

Lending momentum and robust interest income powered earnings, but the Georgia bank expects deposit cost increases to weigh on its net interest margin.

Discover Financial Services posted a healthy fourth-quarter increase in card spending and lending, but analysts raised concerns about a sharp rise in credit account charge-offs that's likely to continue into 2024.

The Pittsburgh bank posted a solid profit and said that it expects continued loan growth. But the pace of business expansion could slow alongside an economic downturn.