Quarterly Banking Profile
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation All FDIC-Insured Institutions
FirstQuarter 2009
INSURED INSTITUTION PERFORMANCE
Net Income of $7.6 Billion Is Less than Half Year-Earlier Level
Noninterest Income Registers Strong Rebound at Large Banks
Aggressive Reserve Building Trails Growth in Troubled Loans
Industry Assets Contract by $302 Billion
Total Equity Capital Increases by $82.1 Billion
With great sadness we note the passing of L. William Seidman, Chairman of the FDIC from 1985 to 1991, and founder of the Quarterly Banking Profile. His wisdom and leadership through difficult times continue to inspire, as does his commitment to openness,transparency, and an informed public
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Highest Earnings in Four Quarters Are 61 Percent Lower than a Year Ago
Sharply higher trading revenues at large banks helped FDIC-insured institutions post an aggregate net profit of$7.6 billion in the first quarter of 2009. Realized gains on securities and other assets at a few large institutionsalso contributed to the quarter’s profits. First quarter earnings were $11.7 billion (60.8 percent) lower than inthe first quarter of 2008 but represented a significant recovery from the $36.9 billion net loss the industryreported in the fourth quarter of 2008.
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Provisions for loan and lease losses were lower than in the fourthquarter of 2008 but continued to rise on a year-over-year basis. The increase in loss provisions, highercharges for goodwill impairment, and reduced income from securitization activity were the primary causes ofthe year-over-year decline in industry net income. Evidence of earnings weakness was widespread in the firstquarter; more than one out of every five institutions (21.6 percent) reported a net loss, and almost three out ofevery five (59.3 percent) reported lower net income than in the first quarter of 2008.
Loss Provisions Continue to Weigh Heavily on Earnings
Insured institutions set aside $60.9 billion in loan loss provisions in the first quarter, an increase of $23.7 billion(63.6 percent) from the first quarter of 2008. Almost two out of every three insured institutions (65.4 percent)increased their loss provisions. Goodwill impairment charges and other intangible asset expenses rose to $7.2billion from $2.8 billion a year earlier. Against these negative factors, total noninterest income contributed$68.3 billion to pretax earnings, a $7.8-billion (12.8 percent) improvement over the first quarter of 2008. Netinterest income was $4.4 billion (4.7 percent) higher, and realized gains on securities and other assets wereup by $1.9 billion (152.6 percent). The rebound in noninterest income stemmed primarily from higher tradingrevenue at a few large banks, but gains on loan sales and increased servicing fees also provided a boost tononinterest revenues. Trading revenues were $7.6 billion higher than a year earlier, servicing fees were up by$2.4 billion, and realized gains on securities and other assets were $1.9 billion higher. Nevertheless, thesepositive developments were outweighed by the higher expenses for bad loans and goodwill impairment. Theaverage return on assets (ROA) was 0.22 percent, less than half the 0.58 percent registered in the first quarterof 2008 and less than one-fifth the 1.20 percent ROA the industry enjoyed in the first quarter of 2007.
Lower Funding Costs Lift Large Bank Margins
For the sixth consecutive quarter, falling interest rates caused declines in both average funding costs andaverage asset yields. The industry’s average funding cost fell by more than its average asset yield in thequarter, and the quarterly net interest margin (NIM) improved from fourth quarter 2008 and first quarter 2008
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Amended financial reports received since the publication of the fourth quarter 2008
Quarterly Banking Profile
caused theindustry’s fourth-quarter net loss to widen from $32.1 billion to $36.9 billion. The amendments included higher expenses forgoodwill impairment and increased loan-loss provisions.
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