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The Institutional Risk Analyst
© 2003-2025 | Whalen Global Advisors LLC All Rights Reserved in All Media | ISSN 2692-1812
Banks | Markets | Finance

WGA Releases Q1 2025 Bank Industry Survey | Higher for Longer May Throttle Deposit Growth
Industry results in 2024 were reasonably good, but the banking industry is still 200 bp below 2019 levels of asset and equity returns
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 282 min read
187 views


Trumpian Wave Threatens Key Markets
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell now reports up to National Economic Council head Kevin Hassett.
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 207 min read
674 views


Big Losses in Commercial Real Estate & PE in 2025?
Private equity portfolio companies are about 10 times as likely to go bankrupt as non-PE-owned companies.
R. Christopher Whalen
Jan 136 min read
1,133 views


Chairman Powell Jumps the Shark
The markets got their rate cut over the past six months and now may have to give some of that back.
R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 7, 20248 min read
856 views

The Bull Case for Large Banks
If you believe that there is no recession coming in 2025, what is the logical response from an informed investment professional?
R. Christopher Whalen
Oct 1, 20246 min read
609 views

IRA Bank Book Q3 2024 Industry Survey
The Q3 interest rate rally still leaves the industry with a negative
capital position since the average securities yield is only 3%
R. Christopher Whalen
Sep 16, 20242 min read
369 views


New & Old Names in Nonbank Finance
In dollar terms, the moves in 2023 were tiny vs the post March rally in 2020.
R. Christopher Whalen
Aug 21, 20247 min read
479 views

Q2 2024 Earnings Setup: JPM, BAC, WFC, C, USB, PNC, TFC
Citigroup leads the pack with a net loss rate of 133 basis points (bp) that is almost five times the average for Peer Group 1 at 27 bp.
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 23, 20249 min read
1,443 views

Update: BMO + Bank of the West = ?
BMO arguably has the weakest reserve position among the large Canadian banks....
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 17, 20246 min read
988 views


Will Credit Risk Transfer Save the Banks? Are MSRs Overvalued?
How much in synthetic CRT transactions will be done in 2024? Our best guess is many hundreds of billions globally...
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 12, 20249 min read
768 views


Faux Bear Raids on OZK and AX? But More Trouble Ahead for CRE Equity
We remind readers that unrealized losses on securities are still a bigger problem for banks than CRE.
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 7, 20246 min read
630 views


Inside the Private Credit Trade
Direct lenders are the pawnbrokers of the 21st Century for subprime commercial borrowers, usually firms financed via leveraged buyouts.
R. Christopher Whalen
Jun 4, 20246 min read
1,367 views


Inflation & CRE Deflation Too? UMB Financial + Heartland = ?
With a budget deficit projected to be $1.8 trillion in 2024, the odds of the FOMC actually controlling inflation are pretty low.Â
R. Christopher Whalen
May 28, 20247 min read
767 views


Interest Rates, Deficits & Inflation
We think it is reasonable to push expectations of a cut in the target for Fed funds into Q1 2025.Â
R. Christopher Whalen
May 24, 20246 min read
817 views

MBA Aftermath; Profile: Merchants Bancorp (MBIN)
When NYC is forced to recognize reality, it will already be too late to avoid another fiscal crisis.
R. Christopher Whalen
May 22, 20247 min read
644 views


Yellen FSOC Punts on Mortgage Servicers; WGA Bottom 25 Banks
Are there bank bargains down in the cellar waiting to be discovered?
R. Christopher Whalen
May 13, 20247 min read
910 views

TCBI v Ginnie Mae Goes to Trial | Outlook for Commercial & Residential Mortgage Finance
McCargo's actions and the fact that the case has not been dismissed in its entirety is very unhelpful given current market conditions.
R. Christopher Whalen
Apr 21, 20247 min read
1,282 views


Top-Five Banks: Q1 '24 Earnings Setup
We see higher credit costs, narrowing NIM and still rising funding costs squeezing the banking industry in Q1 2024...
R. Christopher Whalen
Mar 19, 20247 min read
586 views

Should We Resurrect the Reconstruction Finance Corporation?
We can all pretend that the collapse of valuations for many commercial and multifamily properties is not a major problem. Or we can act now
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 13, 202411 min read
1,538 views


Assume Loss Given Default > 100% | PennyMac & Western Alliance Bank
Q: What do Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, Signature Bank and New York Community Bank have in common? Auditor, KPMG.
R. Christopher Whalen
Feb 4, 202410 min read
2,617 views
Christopher Whalen
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