美国小银行“暴雷”主角之一发财报，超出华尔街多数分析师预期

Core Viewpoint - The recent loan fraud cases involving Zions Bancorp and Western Alliance Bancorp have triggered market panic, leading to significant declines in U.S. stock prices, particularly in the regional banking sector. However, Western Alliance Bancorp's third-quarter earnings report has alleviated some investor concerns, showing strong financial performance despite previous worries related to the fraud allegations [1][4]. Group 1: Financial Performance - Western Alliance Bancorp reported a net profit of $250.2 million for the third quarter, translating to earnings per share of $2.28, which is a year-over-year increase of over 27% [4]. - The bank's net interest income grew by 7.7% year-over-year, reaching $750.4 million, exceeding analysts' average expectations of $737 million [4]. - The bank set aside $31.1 million for bad loan provisions, close to market estimates of $30 million, while its future credit loss reserves increased to $80 million, nearly double analysts' expectations [4]. Group 2: Legal Issues and Market Reaction - Western Alliance Bancorp has filed a lawsuit against a commercial real estate investment group, alleging manipulation of loan structures that prevented the bank from receiving repayments in priority order. The group reportedly still owes approximately $98 million [4][5]. - The lawsuit has drawn attention following Zions Bancorp's similar legal action against the same investment group, which resulted in a $50 million bad debt provision due to fraud allegations. This news caused both banks' stock prices to drop by over 10% on October 16 [5]. - Despite the initial panic in the market, Western Alliance Bancorp's strong earnings report helped to ease tensions, with its stock price rising approximately 4% in after-hours trading following the announcement [1][4].