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☆ Wells Fargo follows a solid quarter, promising investors something many of them count on
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Don't let Friday's stock action fool you: Wells Fargo (WFC) had a very good quarter. Shares of Wells Fargo initially climbed more than 2% following the earnings release, before giving up some of those gains. Wells Fargo stock was trading up slightly and down slightly Friday afternoon. WFC YTD mountain Wells Fargo YTD performance Bottom line It was very good quarter for Wells Fargo as the better-than-expected headline results came on the back of a lower-than-expected efficiency ratio, and slightly higher-than-expected net interest margin (NIM). Charlie Scharf, CEO, Wells Fargo, speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California on May 2, 2023. speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California on May 2, 2023.

Persons: Wells, Wells Fargo, NIM, Morgan Stanley, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Charlie Scharf, Patrick T, Fallon Organizations: —, Refinitiv, Auto, CNBC, Milken Institute Global Conference, Afp, Getty Locations: Wells Fargo, Wells, Beverly Hills , California

Another source inside Barclays' investment bank, talking anonymously because they are not authorised to speak to the media, said lower staff attrition at its technology and back office operations had started to worry cost-conscious managers. The BCG review could lead to layoffs, the source familiar with the review said, although no decisions have been made. Some top Barclays investors, however, told Reuters they would have misgivings about a plan to prioritise investment over capital distributions. But a recent shake-up at its investment bank has raised concern about Barclays' ability to compete amid a worldwide dealmaking slump. They are not valued properly together," said Alan Beaney, chief executive at RC Brown Investment Management, which has held Barclays shares since 2012.

Persons: C.S, shivers, Richard Marwood, Venkat, Edward Bramson, Richard Buxton, Alan Beaney, Elisa Martinuzzi, Mark Potter Organizations: Barclays, Boston Consulting, Reuters, Royal London Asset Management, Lehman Brothers, Jupiter Asset, RC Brown Investment Management, BNP, HSBC, Reuters Graphics Barclays, Jefferies, Thomson Locations: U.S, Africa

☆ Australia's ANZ looks to expand lending to critical minerals sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Melanie Burton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, June 14 (Reuters) - Australian lender ANZ Group (ANZ.AX) is looking at opportunities to invest more in the critical minerals sector as part of its efforts to support decarbonisation and has recently backed its first stand-alone lithium deal, an executive said on Wednesday. ANZ has traditionally supported long-life, low-risk mine projects for Australia's staple resources including iron ore, gold, aluminium, copper and nickel, said Simon Arduca, ANZ's executive director of resources, energy and infrastructure. We have a goal to be a leader in environmental sustainability and that then feeds into critical minerals." ANZ, however, has just financed a stand-alone lithium mine, Arduca told a panel at a mining conference in Melbourne, declining to provide further details. Green finance, where companies that meet certain sustainability milestones can get access to lower lending rates has not really yet entered the mining sector, but will in time, he added.

Persons: Simon Arduca, Arduca, Melanie Burton, Jamie Freed Organizations: MELBOURNE, ANZ Group, Wednesday, ANZ, Thomson Locations: decarbonisation, Australia, Melbourne, Green

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Major banks and fintech companies claim to be piling into generative artificial intelligence as the hype surrounding the buzzy technology shows no signs of fizzling out — but there are lingering fears about potential pitfalls and risks. Chalapathy Neti, head of AI at global bank messaging network Swift, described the progress made with ChatGPT and GPT-4 as "mind-boggling." The Netherlands' ABN Amro is one banking giant that's piloting the use of generative AI in its processes. It's also using it to help its employees gather data on customers to assist with answering queries and avoid repetitive questions. Indeed, the banks appeared unanimous in their hesitation to roll out ChatGPT-like tools to customer-facing scenarios.

Persons: Vreugdenhil, It's, Mariana Gomez de Organizations: ABN Amro, ABN, Mariana Gomez de la Villa, ING Bank Locations: Warsaw, Poland, AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Amsterdam

☆ Westpac to layoff 300 workers in business and retail unit, says trade union
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 12 (Reuters) - Australian lender Westpac Banking Corp (WBC.AX) will cut around 300 jobs in its consumer and business banking segments at a time of strong profit growth amid rising interest rates and soaring inflation, a local trade body said. The Finance Sector Union of Australia (FSU) said on Friday the country's third-largest bank would reduce headcount from its Consumer and Business Banking Division, citing a Westpac internal memo seen by the union. 2 mortgage provider reported a 22% rise in its first half net profit to A$4.00 billion ($2.70 billion) amid a high-inflationary environment. The bank could not be reached immediately for a comment on account of a public holiday on Monday. ($1 = 1.4839 Australian dollars)Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Julia Angrisano, Rishav Chatterjee, Rashmi Organizations: Westpac Banking Corp, Finance Sector Union of Australia, FSU, Consumer, Business Banking, Westpac, Reuters, ANZ Group, National Australia Bank, DBS, Australia's, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ UK fintech bank Monzo more than doubles revenue but marginally narrows losses to $143 million, results show
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

London-based fintech bank Monzo more than doubled its revenue last year, results show. The company, founded in 2015, also narrowed losses marginally to £116.3 million ($143.4 million). British fintech bank Monzo more than doubled its revenue last year and marginally narrowed losses to £116.3 million ($143.4 million), according to results published on Wednesday. Monzo, famous for its bright coral pink debit cards, added another 1.6 million customers with the bank now servicing around 7.4 million users. The company's results come after fellow London-based fintech bank Starling, announced a pre-tax profit of £195 million ($241 million).

Persons: Anil, Monzo, Starling, Y Combinator, Tom Blomfield, Combinator Organizations: Catalyst, Abu Dhabi Growth Fund Locations: British, London, Abu Dhabi

☆ Factbox: The JPMorgan executives who will update investors on First Republic, strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Nupur Anand | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Marco... Read moreNEW YORK, May 22 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) executives will update investors on its takeover of failed First Republic Bank, which has made the biggest U.S. bank even bigger. CEO Jamie Dimon and other top executives will present their strategies at an investor day at its headquarters in New York on Monday. Lake and Piepszak are among the executives in charge of integrating First Republic Bank after it was shuttered by authorities on May 1. JEREMY BARNUM, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERBarnum was promoted to CFO in 2021 after leading global research. The finance chief joined JPMorgan in 1994, serving in various roles including CFO and chief of staff for the investment bank.

☆ Analysis: Australian banks' bid to shake mortgage reliance brings new risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"When there's a macroeconomic downturn, it's generally institutional and business lending exposures that are impacted first," he added. For decades, Australian housing finance has significantly outpaced business lending, making home loan margins the engine of profits. A more recent exodus from non-lending retail services like financial advice has further weighted banks' allocation of capital to residential property. The big four banks said in earnings updates this month that their net interest margins peaked in late 2022 and have since narrowed. To hedge against interest rates risks, the Big Four may now chase new services-based revenues from commercial clients in non-lending segments, added Garland.

Lending standards, which were already at levels consistent with past recessions, according to several indicators in the most recent 'SLOOS' and NFIB surveys, will only tighten further. Although tighter credit conditions will weigh on economic activity, hiring and inflation, recession can still be avoided. A separate NFIB banking survey published this week shows small business owners are not hitting the panic button just yet, but concern is growing. "Small business owners are, not surprisingly, concerned about the stability of the banking system. A strong small business banking system is essential for small business owners to operate and grow their business," Holly Wade, executive director of NFIB's Research Center said.

☆ Factbox: PacWest Bancorp, US regional lender in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Here are some details about the bank:* PacWest is a community bank focused on providing business banking and treasury management services to small, middle-market, and venture-backed businesses. PacWest's market value has now fallen to $772 million after its shares tumbled 72% this year. * According to data from the U.S. Federal Reserve, PacWest was the 53rd largest U.S. bank, as of Dec 31. * As of March 31, the lender held total deposits of $28.2 billion and total assets of $44.3 billion. Meanwhile, total insured deposits, which have come into focus since the crisis, were about 75% of total deposits as of May 2.

☆ Don't let the patriotic talk fool you. Here are 5 ways JPMorgan stands to win from buying First Republic Bank.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Carter Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

JPMorgan on Monday morning emerged as the white-knight buyer of First Republic Bank. More wealth advisors for high-net-worth clientsJPMorgan's wealth management ambitions will also get a boost from its purchase of First Republic. The smaller bank has about 150 high-end advisors who will join JPMorgan's brokerage business unit, JPMorgan Advisors. "If they can retain the wealth advisors and not lose too many more, I think it will be very advantageous. "This helps bring the bank crisis phase to the home stretch in our view," wrote Wells Fargo's Mayo.

☆ Wells Fargo gives up gains despite earnings beat. We see a buying opportunity
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Wells Fargo (WFC) reported better-than-expected first-quarter results on Friday, demonstrating its underlying fundamentals are strong. Shares of Wells Fargo initially climbed more than 2% following the earnings release, before giving up most of those gains. Wells Fargo stock was trading down around 0.2% Friday afternoon, at $39.58 a share. Wells Fargo management also noted that, like many other regional banks, it has a much broader business model and more diversified sources of funding than a bank like SVB. Within consumer lending, home lending was down 42% from last year, while credit card revenue increased 3% annually.

☆ Wells Fargo names Saul Van Beurden as CEO for consumer banking unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 13 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo (WFC.N) has named Saul Van Beurden as the chief executive officer of its consumer and small business banking (CSBB) unit, effective May 15, it said in a statement on Thursday. Reporting by Siddarth S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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☆ U.S. banks fallout will intensify margin headwinds for Aussie lenders, UBS says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Australian banks are "well regulated" and carry strong liquidity coverage ratios, UBS said. Regulators and bankers insist the country's banks, bolstered by post-global financial crisis reforms, are well placed to handle the solvency and liquidity shocks that rocked lenders overseas like Silicon Valley Bank in the United States. Competition for mortgages, accounting for anywhere between 45% and 65% of net interest income of banks, "has never been fiercer," with some banks "sub-economically" pricing new business, UBS said. Still, the brokerage expects the bank to report strong first half earnings on sustained operational momentum. Three of the "Big Four" banks barring CBA lost between 1% and 5% from March 10 when the first signs of trouble surfaced at the tech-focused lender Silicon Valley Bank.

[1/2] A JPMorgan logo is seen in New York City, U.S., January 10, 2017. While lenders regularly compete for customers, the loss of confidence that shook the banking system in the last two weeks sparked concerns about contagion that could lead to a broader panic. President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Citigroup Inc. C.N Chief Executive Jane Fraser have all made statements in recent days to reassure the public that the U.S. banking system is safe. "We all have a vested interest in keeping America's financial system strong and thriving," a JPMorgan spokesperson said. "It's the envy of the world with thousands of institutions of all sizes serving every corner of the country."

☆ Goldman Sachs just raised their recession probability due to stress in the banking system. These 20 stocks are least sensitive to an economic downturn, the bank says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank have all battled woes in the last week. Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank of New York both closed in recent days as a result of a run on deposits. Silicon Valley Bank had taken significant losses on bond investments, causing depositors to worry that their money would not be safe. This fear spread to customers of Signature Bank, which then sold assets at a loss to meet liquidity demands. First Republic Bank also appeared to have insufficient liquidity to weather a bank run, fueling concerns that it would be closed down.

☆ After SVB and Signature failures, what small businesses should look for when choosing a bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Employees stand outside of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. The same holds true for customers of Signature Bank, which was shut down by regulators Sunday. Yet they now need to find another place to keep their money — and they and other small firms may fear a similar calamity elsewhere. For starters, the message is that when a bank fails, customer deposits will be covered for an unlimited amount, Boneparth said. FDIC coverage may be enough for some firmsAdditionally, for some small businesses, the FDIC coverage at their bank should be sufficient.

☆ Credit Suisse personal & business banking boss to leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ZURICH, March 1 (Reuters) - Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) on Wednesday said its Head of Personal & Business Banking, Anke Bridge Haux, is to leave the bank to take on a new role as CEO of the Swiss arm of LGT Bank. Credit Suisse's current chief operating officer of Personal & Business Banking, Michael Sager, will take over leadership of the business on an interim basis with immediate effect and become a member of the executive board of Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd. Reporting by Noele Illien; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Higher provisions, legal charges dampen CIBC's quarterly profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) (CM.TO) reported a fall in its first-quarter profit on Friday, weighed down by higher provisions and legal charges to settle a lawsuit tied to the 2008 global financial crisis. CIBC set aside C$295 million ($217.17 million) in provisions for credit losses in the reported quarter, up C$220 million from a year-ago period. Last month, Bank of Canada said it would hold off on further moves to let the effects of past rate hikes sink in. CIBC kicked off the first-quarter earnings season for major Canadian banks on Friday. Rivals Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) and Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) will report on Tuesday while Royal Bank of Canada (RY.TO) and National Bank of Canada (NA.TO) will post their earnings on Wednesday.

☆ JPMorgan to hire more than 500 small-business bankers over 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lananh Nguyen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MIAMI, Feb 8 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N), the largest U.S. lender, plans to hire more than 500 bankers catering to small businesses through 2024, the company said on Wednesday. The new recruits will boost the bank's workforce serving small enterprises by 20% from more than 2,300 currently. "Small business owners are facing difficult challenges with persistent inflation, supply chain disruptions, and expense pressure," Ben Walter, JPMorgan's chief executive officer of business banking, said in a statement. A majority of small business owners surveyed by JPMorgan expect a recession this year but they also remain optimistic, with two-thirds seeing increased sales and 65% anticipating higher profits. The tech industry has followed suit, announcing tens of thousands of layoffs as a potential recession looms.

Learn more A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.25 out of 5 Stars Editor's Rating A tooltip OUR EDITOR'S RATINGS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON 3 THINGS: SIMPLICITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND VALUE. Learn more A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4 out of 5 Stars Editor's Rating A tooltip OUR EDITOR'S RATINGS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON 3 THINGS: SIMPLICITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND VALUE. Learn more A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 4.25 out of 5 Stars Editor's Rating A tooltip OUR EDITOR'S RATINGS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON 3 THINGS: SIMPLICITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND VALUE. Learn more A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star A five pointed star 3.75 out of 5 Stars Editor's Rating A tooltip OUR EDITOR'S RATINGS ARE PRIMARILY BASED ON 3 THINGS: SIMPLICITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND VALUE. Pros Check mark icon A check mark.

☆ BNP Paribas' $16 bln U.S. sale to BMO wins regulatory OK
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), France's biggest listed bank, said on Wednesday that it had received all the necessary regulatory approvals to complete its previously announced sale of Bank of the West to Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO). BNP Paribas added that this transaction was expected to close on Feb 1. "The closing of the Bancwest sale has been long-awaited ... and is a significant positive catalyst for BNP shares in our view," Jefferies analysts said in a note. Once the deal closes, it will bring nearly 1.8 million commercial, retail, wealth management and business banking customers and over 9,300 Bank of the West employees to BMO. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Silvia Aloisi and Manya Saini in Bengaluru editing by Jason Neely and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Wells Fargo's solid 4Q and planned share buybacks support our thesis for the stock, as shares climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

Sequentially, the biggest driver was higher interest rates, as well as a benefit from higher loan balances and lower mortgage-backed securities premium amortization. Key company metrics Net interest income: $13.43 billion, up 11% quarter-over-quarter and 45% year-over-year, outpacing analysts' forecasts of $12.99 billion. Net interest margin: 3.14%, compared with 2.11% during the same period a year prior, and above the consensus estimate of 3.02%. Within consumer lending, home lending was down 57% from last year, while credit card revenue increased 6% over last year. Noninterest expenses increased 4% year-over-year but were down 3% sequentially, with the annual increase resulting from higher operating costs and salary expenses.

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