Small banks are feeling misunderstood.
Investors worry that those banks could be a crisis waiting to happen.
But executives at these firms — which number about 4,100 in total — say there is an important distinction, and some industry analysts concur.
They caution that small banks are being lumped in with lenders to the owners of half-empty towers in Manhattan, San Francisco and Chicago, which are in the most trouble.
Instead, a majority of commercial building loans by community banks are for smaller buildings — like those housing doctors and local businesses — that tend to be fully leased.
Organizations:
Investors
Locations:
Manhattan, San Francisco, Chicago