CEO Bill Demchak said there seemed to be "some confusion," after PNC's stock fell some 4% on Wednesday.

After the rapid rise of interest rates, election uncertainty and tariff policies stymied borrower demand, some banks' second-quarter results suggest that loan growth may be on its way back.

The Pittsburgh-based superregional bank reported a small quarter-over-quarter advance in net interest income, and it expects loan growth to pick up in the second half of the year. PNC, which announced job cuts last year, also said that it has identified an additional $25 million in cost savings.

Across the industry, the pace of branch shutdowns slowed this year. Still, large financial institutions continued to trim their physical footprints, with two super-regional banks taking the most aggressive actions.

Fears of widespread credit losses have largely subsided, but demand for new commercial real estate loans remains lackluster because many companies are sitting on so much cash they don’t need to borrow. Meanwhile, competition from private equity groups and other nonbank lenders is escalating.

The Pittsburgh bank says fewer borrowers are asking for help and that many borrowers who received assistance are making payments again. But with the coronavirus pandemic still raging in much of the country, CEO William Demchak and other bankers are tempering their optimism.

The Minneapolis company said 75% transactions have been handled online since the pandemic hit.

The Minneapolis company attributed the uptick to new tech tools, additional loan officers and other process improvements — not to mention the refi boom fueled by lower rates. It’s a formula other banks are expected to copy.

Advocates are seeking more federal funding for affordable housing. A federal investigation into the banks’ alleged manipulation of a popular tax-credit program can’t be helping their cause.

Commercial real estate is their bread and butter, but many banks are scaling back in this vital loan category. Here’s why.

William Parsley was most recently PNC's chief investment officer and treasurer and had previously served as head of consumer lending.

The payments resolve a number of cases that date back to 2011 and were among the largest coordinated U.S. enforcement efforts in the years following the crisis.

They aren't creating new products, but some lenders are advising cash-strapped customers in high-tax states to tap home equity or other credit lines to prepay property taxes before the new tax law kicks in.

The Pittsburgh company benefited from loan growth and higher interest rates, though fee income fell and expense rose in the third quarter.

Demand for commercial loans has been weak for much of the past year and among the big questions bank executives will face this earnings season is when they can expect the pace to finally pick up.

In a business populated by extroverts, Diana Reid views herself as an introvert. The head of PNC Real Estate at PNC Financial Services Group says it's an attribute that she's made an asset as she looks to build consensus and drive business growth.

On the first big day of 2Q results, bankers said their investments in middle-market lending have started paying off. JPMorgan Chase and PNC have added commercial loan officers in new markets across the country.

Net income climbed 13% as as the Fed's hike improved loan yields and the stock market’s surge boosted returns from PNC’s stake in BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager.