President Trump on Tuesday reiterated his criticism of Jerome Powell, saying the Fed chair is "probably" keeping rates high for political reasons https://t.co/zqYangmPh3 https://t.co/6KNEYTYmHd ...

BREAKING:🇺🇸 PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS FED CHAIR POWELL IS KEEPING INTEREST RATES HIGH FOR POLITICAL REASONS. https://t.co/rFEYA7OZEb ...

I think that Fed Chair Jerome Powell. I think he's doing a bad job, but he's going to be out pretty soon anyway. In eight, eight months he'll be out.But he's I call him too late. He's too late all the time. He should have lowered interest rates many times.Europe lowered their rate ten times. We lowered ours none. And it's causing a problem for people who want to buy a home.Look, our economy is so strong now, we're blowing through everything. We're setting records, you know that. You see that.And whether it' ...

So dear friends, dear colleagues, my speech today is a great chance to advocate not only for quality and responsible journalism but also for the for the necessity imperative necessity of its sustainability. In what follows I uh will use a short form of this idea. I will say QR journalism is not a new concept.Uh it's just a way to simplify my my speech today. Maybe in the world today are millions such speeches about journalism. But I don't care. I don't think they are enough.And beside that, I come here in f ...

Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) Q2 2025 Earnings Call July 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsTyler Wilcox - President, CEO & DirectorKathryn Bailey - EVP & CFODaniel Tamayo - Vice PresidentAdam Kroll - Equity Research AssociateTim Switzer - Vice PresidentBrandon Rud - Senior Research AssociateDan Cardenas - Director - Banks & ThriftsConference Call ParticipantsManuel Navas - MD & Senior Research AnalystOperatorGood morning, and welcome to Peoples Bancorp Inc. Conference call. My name is Betsy, and I will be y ...

Wintrust Financial (WTFC) Q2 2025 Earnings Call July 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET Company ParticipantsTimothy Crane - President, CEO & DirectorDavid Stoehr - EVP & CFORichard Murphy - Vice Chairman & Chief Lending OfficerJon Arfstrom - MD & Associate Director - US ResearchChristopher Mcgratty - MD & Head - U.S. Bank ResearchDavid Long - Managing DirectorTerry Mcevoy - Managing DirectorBen Gerlinger - VP - Equity ResearchJared Shaw - Managing DirectorBrendan Nosal - DirectorNicholas Holowko - DirectorConference Call ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported record quarterly net income of $195.5 million, up from $189 million in the previous quarter, representing a growth of approximately 2.6% [5] - Net interest income also reached a record high of $547 million, driven by loan growth of $2.3 billion in the second quarter, which reflects a 19% annualized increase [5][10] - Total assets grew by $3.1 billion to $69 billion, including the impact of a $425 million preferred stock offering [11] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Residential mortgage activity increased slightly but remains muted in the current rate environment, with the company managing expenses to protect financial results [7] - The property and casualty premium finance group saw growth of over $1 billion, while commercial real estate grew by $377 million and mortgage warehouse grew by $213 million [19][20] - Non-interest income totaled $124.1 million, up approximately $7.5 million from the prior quarter, with increases in mortgage banking and wealth management revenue [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a 17% increase in deposit growth, amounting to $2.2 billion on an annualized basis, which helped fund the strong loan growth [9] - The net interest margin for the quarter remained stable at 3.54%, indicating effective management of interest income and expenses [6][12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for continued mid to high single-digit loan growth for the second half of the year, supported by strong pipelines and disciplined growth strategies [5][21] - Management emphasized a client-first approach, focusing on delivering sophisticated financial solutions while maintaining expense discipline [26] - The company is cautiously optimistic about the overall business environment, with a focus on maintaining strong credit quality and managing risks effectively [22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that credit quality remains strong, with non-performing loans stable and charge-offs unchanged from the previous quarter [22][23] - There is a belief that the impacts of economic uncertainties will be limited due to strong underwriting standards and a diversified portfolio [21] - The company is optimistic about the potential for M&A activity, driven by market dynamics and opportunities arising from regulatory changes [51][92] Other Important Information - The company continues to build tangible book value per share and has grown it every year since going public [15] - The recent preferred stock issuance will impact earnings per share calculations in the third quarter, but not operating net income [16][17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Loan growth expectations for Q3 - Management expects loan growth to remain in the mid to high single digits based on the June 30 balance [33][34] Question: Sources of deposit growth - Deposit growth is broad-based, with significant contributions from commercial and consumer households [36] Question: Wealth management outsourcing progress - The conversion to the LPL platform is largely complete, and the focus is now on serving clients and growing the wealth business [37] Question: NII growth sustainability amid deposit competition - Management anticipates mid to high single-digit NII growth, supported by stable margins and asset growth [43][46] Question: Impact of deregulation on the company - Management is hopeful for regulatory adjustments that could facilitate growth and acquisition opportunities [51] Question: Borrower sentiment and loan growth - Borrower sentiment is cautiously optimistic, with improved confidence in the economic environment [111] Question: Non-performing loans in the CRE portfolio - The increase in non-performing loans is attributed to a few specific credits, but overall management remains confident in the portfolio's health [96]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported diluted earnings per share of 59 cents for Q2 2025, with an annualized loan growth of 11% [6][7] - Net interest income increased by over $2 million, while the net interest margin expanded by three basis points to 4.15% [14][20] - The allowance for credit losses grew by $9.4 million to 1.13% of total loans, with a provision for credit losses totaling $16.6 million, an increase of $6.5 million from the previous quarter [8][12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Fee-based income was relatively stable, with a slight decline of 1% compared to the linked quarter, primarily due to performance-based insurance commissions recognized in Q1 [16][18] - The small ticket leasing business experienced elevated charge-off levels, with net charge-offs decreasing from $5.4 million in the previous quarter to $4.8 million [10][24] - Loan growth was balanced across categories, including commercial and industrial loans, residential real estate loans, and construction loans [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company observed increased loan demand, reflected in the pipelines and loan growth during the quarter [12] - Non-performing assets increased slightly to 49 basis points of total assets, primarily due to higher balances in loans past due [11] - The commercial real estate loans comprised 34% of total loans, with 46% of total loans being fixed rate [13][21] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to achieve positive operating leverage for 2025 compared to 2024, with expectations of loan growth between 4% to 6% [26][27] - The management is focused on maintaining high underwriting standards to protect credit quality while offering competitive deposit rates [28][29] - The company is actively managing its balance sheet and interest rate risk profile, with a commitment to community engagement and employee satisfaction [29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism regarding credit quality and loan growth, despite potential economic uncertainties [12][28] - The company has not observed significant impacts from tariffs on loan growth or credit metrics but continues to monitor the portfolio closely [12][71] - Future expectations include a plateau in small ticket leasing net charge-offs and a stable outlook for deposit growth [26][58] Other Important Information - The tangible equity to tangible assets ratio remained stable at 8.3%, with book value per share growing by 1% [22][23] - The investment portfolio grew by approximately $140 million, driven by investments in higher-yielding bonds [21] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on charge-offs and credit quality - Management indicated that charge-offs in small ticket leasing are correlated with high balance accounts and expect them to plateau in the upcoming quarters [36][45] Question: Loan growth guidance and drivers - The company maintained a loan growth guidance of mid-single digits for 2025, citing strong production and robust demand across various business lines [54] Question: Deposit growth outlook and competition - Management expects seasonal growth in governmental deposits and stable trends in other deposit categories, with ongoing efforts to manage deposit costs [56][58] Question: Capital levels and stock repurchase plans - The company remains opportunistic regarding stock repurchases, with a focus on maintaining strong capital levels for potential M&A opportunities [107][109]

💥BREAKING:🇺🇸 President Trump says Fed Chair Jerome Powell is keeping interest rates high for political reasons. https://t.co/hKfO7m6SaC ...

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Trump says Fed Chair Jerome Powell is keeping interest rates high for political reasons. https://t.co/e9XSY6rlFP ...