Strategic planning

The bank will spend an additional $1.4 billion on technology in 2018 to gain share and boost efficiency, executives said Tuesday. But they were peppered with questions about whether the big investment will yield a big financial return down the road.

The company said it will lay off more than a dozen employees in a move that reflects the current volume of mortgage loan originations.

The Tennessee company also set high expectations for revenue opportunities while projecting it will deliver a 15% return on equity in 2019.

Higher costs dampened mortgage lenders' profitability, outweighing near-term gains in origination volume and per-loan revenue during the third quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's quarterly.

Sometimes reaching underserved borrowers takes experimenting with changes to the mortgage finance system. That's why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are working with lenders to test innovative loan products that meet borrowers' evolving needs.

Blue Lion Capital believes a heavy focus on mortgages and acquisitions is hurting HomeStreet's financial performance.

The forecast for total originations of home equity lines of credit over the next five years is almost twice as high as the five-year total through 2017.

The Seattle company, which has cut about 130 positions in the business in recent months, pointed to lower originations tied to a shortage of new and resale housing.

The regional bank reported an 8% gain in fee income and trimmed costs amid 1% loan growth.

First Savings Financial in Indiana and Dime Community in New York are keen on making more SBA loans as a way to diversify revenue and generate fees through loan sales.