Core Viewpoint - Investors are considering U.S. Bancorp (USB) and Northern Trust Corporation (NTRS) as potential undervalued stocks in the Banks - Major Regional sector [1] Group 1: Zacks Rank and Earnings Outlook - U.S. Bancorp has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while Northern Trust Corporation has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3] - The Zacks Rank system emphasizes companies with positive estimate revision trends, which is favorable for USB [2][3] Group 2: Valuation Metrics - U.S. Bancorp has a forward P/E ratio of 11.76, compared to Northern Trust Corporation's forward P/E of 15.98 [5] - The PEG ratio for USB is 1.01, while NTRS has a PEG ratio of 1.49, indicating USB's better valuation relative to expected earnings growth [5] - U.S. Bancorp's P/B ratio is 1.46, significantly lower than Northern Trust Corporation's P/B of 2.17, suggesting USB is more attractively valued [6] Group 3: Value Grades - U.S. Bancorp has a Value grade of B, while Northern Trust Corporation has a Value grade of C, reflecting USB's stronger valuation metrics [6][7] - Stronger estimate revision activity and more attractive valuation metrics position U.S. Bancorp as the superior option for value investors [7]

Gunjan Kedia was named president of U.S. Bancorp in May 2024 and CEO in April 2025, taking a key leadership role in an organization with nearly 70,000 employees and more than $660 billion in assets. See where she landed on the 2025 World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. #PowerWomen https://t.co/ehqpmfQQj5 ...

Gunjan Kedia was named president of U.S. Bancorp in May 2024 and CEO in April 2025, taking a key leadership role in an organization with nearly 70,000 employees and more than $660 billion in assets. See where she landed on the 2025 World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. #PowerWomen https://t.co/ehqpmfQQj5 ...

Group 1: Workflow Automation and Cost Savings - Clarifire's blog discusses how servicers are modernizing processes through workflow automation, highlighting examples like one-click trial modification letters and automated GSE exception handling, which lead to operational improvements [1] - The average Encompass customer is seeing a financial benefit of $1,056 per loan due to innovative workflows and automation, indicating significant ROI for lenders [4] Group 2: UAD 3.6 Preparation - Class Valuation emphasizes the importance of deep learning for lenders and appraisers in preparing for UAD 3.6, providing resources and a webinar series to facilitate understanding of the new format [2] Group 3: FICO Score 10T Integration - MCT and FICO have expanded their collaboration to integrate FICO Score 10T into MCT's software suite, enhancing credit intelligence for MSR portfolio managers and investors, and improving asset quality analysis [3] Group 4: Market Trends and Federal Reserve Actions - The Federal Reserve has cut the federal funds rate to a range of 3.50 to 3.75 percent, indicating a neutral policy stance with limited room for further reductions [8] - The Fed raised its 2026 GDP outlook and trimmed inflation forecasts, suggesting confidence in controlling inflation while planning to buy $40 billion in Treasury bills to ease liquidity strains [9] Group 5: Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS) Insights - Loan balance pools are favored in MBS structuring for their predictability in prepayment behavior, with larger-balance UMBS 30-year pools currently paying the slowest due to refinancing challenges [10] - New loan-balance spec pools totaling $170.7 billion have entered the market, providing liquidity, while servicers like Rocket and AmeriHome are key determinants of prepayment outcomes [11][12]

Gunjan Kedia was named president of U.S. Bancorp in May 2024 and CEO in April 2025, taking a key leadership role in an organization with nearly 70,000 employees and more than $660 billion in assets. See where she landed on the 2025 World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. #PowerWomen https://t.co/ehqpmfQQj5 ...

Company Overview - U.S. Bancorp has approximately 70,000 employees and $695 billion in assets as of September 30, 2025 [2] - The company is headquartered in Minneapolis and serves millions of customers through a diversified mix of businesses including consumer banking, business banking, commercial banking, institutional banking, payments, and wealth management [2] - U.S. Bancorp has been recognized for its digital innovation, community partnerships, and customer service, being named one of the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies and one of Fortune's most admired superregional banks [2] Recent Developments - U.S. Bancorp announced a decrease in its prime lending rate to 6.75 percent from 7.00 percent, effective December 11, 2025, at all U.S. Bank locations [1]

Core Viewpoint - The nine largest U.S. banks have been found to have policies that restrict financial services to certain controversial industries, a practice referred to as "debanking," according to a report from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) [1][3]. Group 1: Regulatory Review - The OCC initiated a review following an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at investigating banks for practices that may bar customers based on political or religious beliefs [2]. - The review revealed that from 2020 to 2023, the banks had policies that either denied services to specific industries or imposed excessive scrutiny beyond actual financial risks [3]. Group 2: Accountability and Future Actions - Comptroller of the Currency Jonathan Gould criticized the banks for their debanking policies and stated that the OCC will hold them accountable to prevent unlawful debanking practices in the future [4][5]. - The OCC is currently reviewing thousands of complaints related to debanking based on political or religious beliefs and may refer cases to the Justice Department [5]. Group 3: Industry Response - The banks involved, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Capital One, PNC, TD Bank, and BMO Bank, either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries regarding the report [6]. - The Bank Policy Institute, representing larger banks, expressed that banks aim to serve as many customers as possible and supports regulatory clarity [6][7]. - The industry advocates for fair access to banking and is collaborating with Congress and the administration to ensure compliance with sound risk management while serving law-abiding customers [7].

Core Insights - The article discusses the importance of enabling Javascript and cookies in browsers to ensure proper functionality and access to content [1] Group 1 - The article highlights that users may face access issues if they have an ad-blocker enabled [1] - It suggests disabling ad-blockers and refreshing the page to proceed [1]

Summary of U.S. Bancorp Conference Call (December 10, 2025) Company Overview - **Company**: U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) - **Key Speakers**: Gunjan Kedia (President and CEO), John Stern (CFO) Strategic Priorities - **Focus Areas**: - Expenses management - Organic growth - Payments transformation - **Progress**: - Expenses have remained flat for eight quarters, contributing positively to operating leverage and efficiency ratios [3][4] - Achieved mid-single-digit fee growth targets, with strong performance in fees [3][4] - Mixed results in net interest income (NII) with a focus on consumer and operational deposits [3][4] Economic Insights - **Consumer Trends**: - Strong delinquencies and healthy spending observed, despite bleak sentiment [6][7] - **Corporate Sentiment**: - Improved sentiment compared to earlier in the year, with cautious optimism in M&A-driven loan appetite [6][7] - **Impact of Tariffs**: - Clients report tariffs are not significantly impacting their operations [8] Financial Performance - **Fourth Quarter Expectations**: - NII expected to remain stable with potential upside; fees projected around $3 billion [10][11] - Continued growth in capital markets and impact finance areas [10][11] - **Fee Income**: - Strong growth in trust and investment fees, capital markets, and payments expected to drive revenue [12][14] - Consumer fees anticipated to be a smaller part of revenue due to regulatory pressures [15] Payments Business - **Strategic Importance**: - Payments transformation is a key focus, with initiatives in embedded payments and differentiated distribution [17][18] - **Growth Expectations**: - Anticipated steady growth in the payments sector, with inflection points expected in 2027 and beyond [22][23] Loan Growth and Balance Sheet - **Loan Demand**: - Strong growth in commercial and card loans; slight growth expected in commercial real estate [25][26] - **Balance Sheet Repositioning**: - Focus on operational deposits and strategic portfolio sales to enhance NII growth [31][33] - **Net Interest Margin Target**: - Aiming for a 3% net interest margin by 2027, with ongoing adjustments to the balance sheet [31][33] Competitive Environment - **Deposit Competition**: - Competitive landscape remains challenging, with a focus on unique value propositions to attract deposits [36][38] - **Investment in Technology**: - Maintaining a $2.5 billion investment budget for technology to enhance operational efficiency [40][42] Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets - **Emerging Opportunities**: - Establishing a unit for Digital Assets and Money Movement to explore cryptocurrency and tokenization [46][47] - **Client Interest**: - Growing curiosity among clients regarding cryptocurrency, with ongoing pilots and experiments [48][50] Credit Quality - **Delinquency Trends**: - Credit quality remains stable, with expected seasonal patterns in consumer credit [52] - **NDFI Monitoring**: - No significant stress observed in C&I portfolios; strong credit underwriting practices in place [52][54] Capital Management - **CET1 Ratio**: - Current CET1 ratio at 10.9%, with a target of approximately 10% [54][56] - **Buyback Strategy**: - Plans to increase buybacks as capital levels improve [56] M&A Strategy - **Acquisition Focus**: - Interest in bolt-on acquisitions primarily in payments and institutional sectors [58][59] Medium-Term Targets - **Performance Goals**: - Aiming for high teens return on tangible common equity (ROTCE) and efficiency ratio in the high 50s [60][61] - **Execution Confidence**: - Confidence in achieving targets through consistent execution of strategic priorities [62]

Core Viewpoint - The Zacks Major Regional Banks industry is expected to face weak asset quality due to higher inflation from tariffs, but will benefit from lower interest rates, improving net interest income (NII) and margins, and modest economic growth, which should lift loan demand [1][4][5]. Industry Overview - The Zacks Major Regional Banks industry consists of the largest banks in the U.S. by assets, operating globally and heavily influenced by the nation's economic health. These banks provide a wide range of financial services, including traditional banking, credit and debit cards, mortgage banking, wealth management, and investment banking, generating significant revenue from fees and commissions [3]. Key Trends - **Lower Interest Rates**: The Federal Reserve has begun cutting interest rates, which is expected to stabilize and eventually lower deposit costs, benefiting major regional banks despite initial lower NII and margins [4]. - **Modest Rise in Loan Demand**: As borrowing costs decline, loan demand is anticipated to improve, with NII and net interest margins expected to rise slightly [5]. - **Restructuring Initiatives**: Major regional banks are restructuring to reduce dependence on spread income, investing in technology and expanding both domestically and internationally to enhance profitability [6]. Asset Quality Concerns - Economic health concerns and trade policies have raised prices, impacting borrowers' repayment abilities. Banks are building reserves to mitigate potential defaults, although conservative lending strategies have helped maintain manageable asset quality [7]. Industry Ranking and Performance - The Zacks Major Regional Banks industry ranks 52, placing it in the top 22% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating improving prospects and an encouraging earnings outlook [8][10]. - The industry has underperformed the S&P 500, gaining 9.6% over the past year compared to the S&P 500's 14.6% increase [11]. Valuation Metrics - The industry has a trailing 12-month price-to-tangible book ratio (P/TBV) of 2.50X, significantly lower than the S&P 500's 12.87X, indicating an attractive valuation compared to the broader market [14][16]. Company Highlights - **BNY Mellon**: Operates in 35 countries, focusing on various financial services. The company has a market cap of $79.8 billion, with a projected earnings growth of 22.1% for 2025. It has been expanding its digital capabilities and launching new services, including a Stablecoin reserves fund [18][22]. - **U.S. Bancorp**: Headquartered in Minneapolis, it has a market cap of $79.5 billion and is expected to see earnings growth of 14.1% for 2025. The company has been expanding through acquisitions and partnerships, enhancing its fee-based businesses and maintaining a strong capital distribution strategy [24][28].