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Wells Fargo's Mike Mayo on state of the banking sector, future of regulation and top bank stock
CitiCiti(US:C) CNBC Televisionยท2025-07-22 11:47

Bank Regulation & Reform - The Federal Reserve is hosting a conference on bank regulation, signaling a potentially significant regulatory reset for the banking industry [1][2] - The goal is to reduce bureaucracy and red tape to enable banks to be more efficient and increase lending capacity [3][4] - The Treasury Secretary and Fed Chairman aim to deleverage the public sector and releverage the private sector through banks [4] - The industry views current regulations as too burdensome after 15 years since the global financial crisis, suggesting a need for reform [5] - Nine out of ten investors find the capital rules too confusing, highlighting the need for more understandable regulation [8] Potential Risks & Future Landscape - The next financial crisis is unlikely to mirror the last one, necessitating a more dynamic regulatory environment [9] - Private credit has grown significantly (5-10 times) since the global financial crisis, raising concerns about its procyclicality in a recession [11] - There are concerns about the leverage within some private credit funds and who bears the ultimate risk [14] - Banks have de-risked over the past 15 years, with capital and liquid assets roughly doubling [14] - Lending to non-bank financials, such as private credit firms, has increased, but more data is needed [15] Investment Opportunity - Wells Fargo analyst recommends Citigroup, citing its restructuring efforts and potential benefits from tariffs; the stock is up 43% for the year and 31% year-to-date [16][17]