The FDIC’s most recent Quarterly Banking Profile (QBP) confirms the continuation of problems for the banking industry, as several key metrics showed further deterioration in the fourth quarter. These are some highlights:
• Quarterly earnings declined, swinging industry profitability to a net loss.
• Loan loss provisions, net charge-offs, defaults and noncurrent loan balances increased.
• Aggregate outstanding loans and leases decreased.
• Total deposits increased.
• Average net interest margin generally improved for larger institutions, but declined for community banks that fund most of their assets with interest-bearing deposits.
Degradation of earnings performance
For the first time since the fourth quarter of 1990, insured commercial banks and savings institutions reported a net quarterly loss. The aggregate loss, which exceeded $26 million, was fueled by a combination of loan loss provisions, trading losses and asset write-downs. Roughly half of the aggregate loss was driven by results at only four banks. But, 32 percent of all insured institutions reported a net loss. The industry’s quarterly return on assets (ROA) was a negative 0.77 percent, the worst quarterly ROA performance since 1987.
Full-year 2008 net income was slightly more than $16 billion, vs. $100 billion in the year earlier. The full-year ROA was a meager 0.12 percent. These figures were somewhat inflated due to the accounting entries related to failures and mergers; excluding those impacts, the industry would’ve reported a loss for the year.
Loan loss provisions, charge-offs and defaults
Credit quality continued to be problematic. The industry’s loan loss provisions for the quarter were in excess of $69 billion, or more than half of aggregate net operating revenue. Net loan and lease charge-offs were nearly $38 billion, which is more than double the amount recorded in the year-earlier period. Charge-offs for real estate loans, both construction and development loans and residential mortgages, increased more than $10 billion on a combined basis.
At year-end, the industry was strapped with $230.7 billion in noncurrent loans. This compares to $186.6 billion at the end of the third quarter. The sharp increase does not bode well for a near-term lending or housing recovery, particularly since nearly 70 percent of that increase was related to mortgage loans—residential mortgages, C&I loans, home equity loans and other loans secured by real estate.
Trading losses, asset write-downs, declining equity capital
Trading losses in the fourth quarter were large at $9.2 billion, but down from last year’s level of $11.2 billion. Charges associated with goodwill impairments and factors jumped more than $4 billion from last year, to $15.8 billion.
The disappearance of $39.4 billion in goodwill, along with a reduction in other comprehensive income, led to another consecutive reduction in total equity capital.
Total regulatory capital, however, notched an increase of 2.2 percent. At year-end, 97.6 percent of insured banks matched or beat the highest regulator capital standards.
Restructuring reduces loans outstanding
Net loans and leases outstanding slipped by 1.7 percent. The decline was largely attributable to portfolio restructuring by several large institutions.
Mergers and failures shrink the industry
During the fourth quarter, the number of insured institutions shrank by 79. There were 12 failures in the quarter and 15 new charters. The rest of the decline was related to merger activity and FDIC assistance transactions. For the year, 25 banks failed and 98 institutions were chartered.
As of December 31, the FDIC’s bad bank list contained 252 insured institutions, representing total assets of $159 billion.
• Quarterly earnings declined, swinging industry profitability to a net loss.
• Loan loss provisions, net charge-offs, defaults and noncurrent loan balances increased.
• Aggregate outstanding loans and leases decreased.
• Total deposits increased.
• Average net interest margin generally improved for larger institutions, but declined for community banks that fund most of their assets with interest-bearing deposits.
Degradation of earnings performance
For the first time since the fourth quarter of 1990, insured commercial banks and savings institutions reported a net quarterly loss. The aggregate loss, which exceeded $26 million, was fueled by a combination of loan loss provisions, trading losses and asset write-downs. Roughly half of the aggregate loss was driven by results at only four banks. But, 32 percent of all insured institutions reported a net loss. The industry’s quarterly return on assets (ROA) was a negative 0.77 percent, the worst quarterly ROA performance since 1987.
Full-year 2008 net income was slightly more than $16 billion, vs. $100 billion in the year earlier. The full-year ROA was a meager 0.12 percent. These figures were somewhat inflated due to the accounting entries related to failures and mergers; excluding those impacts, the industry would’ve reported a loss for the year.
Loan loss provisions, charge-offs and defaults
Credit quality continued to be problematic. The industry’s loan loss provisions for the quarter were in excess of $69 billion, or more than half of aggregate net operating revenue. Net loan and lease charge-offs were nearly $38 billion, which is more than double the amount recorded in the year-earlier period. Charge-offs for real estate loans, both construction and development loans and residential mortgages, increased more than $10 billion on a combined basis.
At year-end, the industry was strapped with $230.7 billion in noncurrent loans. This compares to $186.6 billion at the end of the third quarter. The sharp increase does not bode well for a near-term lending or housing recovery, particularly since nearly 70 percent of that increase was related to mortgage loans—residential mortgages, C&I loans, home equity loans and other loans secured by real estate.
Trading losses, asset write-downs, declining equity capital
Trading losses in the fourth quarter were large at $9.2 billion, but down from last year’s level of $11.2 billion. Charges associated with goodwill impairments and factors jumped more than $4 billion from last year, to $15.8 billion.
The disappearance of $39.4 billion in goodwill, along with a reduction in other comprehensive income, led to another consecutive reduction in total equity capital.
Total regulatory capital, however, notched an increase of 2.2 percent. At year-end, 97.6 percent of insured banks matched or beat the highest regulator capital standards.
Restructuring reduces loans outstanding
Net loans and leases outstanding slipped by 1.7 percent. The decline was largely attributable to portfolio restructuring by several large institutions.
Mergers and failures shrink the industry
During the fourth quarter, the number of insured institutions shrank by 79. There were 12 failures in the quarter and 15 new charters. The rest of the decline was related to merger activity and FDIC assistance transactions. For the year, 25 banks failed and 98 institutions were chartered.
As of December 31, the FDIC’s bad bank list contained 252 insured institutions, representing total assets of $159 billion.