Much of the coverage of U.S. banks during the 4Q11 earning reporting period focused on their continued struggles to generate revenues, with some noninterest income categories under pressure. However, most of the big banks did show signs of growth in lending, with commercial lending at the forefront.
The table below looks at y/y and q/q changes in average non-CRE commercial loan portfolios for some of the leading U.S. banks. Of the 12 large banks listed below, eight enjoyed double-digit average commercial loan growth over the past year.
In reporting quarterly financials, most banks indicated strong potential for additional commercial lending growth in 2012, although most were at pains to point out that this is dependent on continued economic recovery and improving business confidence.
Of course, the strong growth in 2011 follows declines in loan portfolios in 2008 and 2009, and relatively anemic growth for many leading banks in 2010. Due to acquisitions and changes in organizational structures, long-term comparisons are not always relevant, but in many cases, leading banks have a long way to go to build average commercial loan portfolios up to pre-financial crisis levels. And banks also need to recognize that, while an improving economy, should boost overall commercial lending, they will need to make significant investments in marketing and sales to maintain and even build their share of the commercial loan market.
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