Insights, organized by the work.

Banking Performance 4Q20

Four themes from fourth-quarter earnings: digital payments approaching card volume, deposit fee income down 20 percent, provisions taken then reversed, and modifications hiding what deferrals no longer do.

A Spartan Race Is Scheduled For Some Office Owners

A year into the pandemic, employers have thrown out the old real estate playbook. What a permanent shift toward remote work means for owners of city-center high-rise office buildings.

Digital & AI

Blockchain in Banking: A Beginner's Guide

The OCC approved custody in July 2020 and payments use in early 2021. Five banking applications beyond digital currency: identity, payments, loan files, ownership ledgers, and near money.

Risk & Compliance

Managing Commercial Real Estate Concentrations in a Challenging Economic Environment

The FDIC advisory on commercial real estate concentrations, replacing the 2008 guidance. Capital, allowance levels, and credit risk-management practices, plus the liquidity risks that compound them.

Regulatory & Remediation

Important Considerations for Banks with High CRE Exposure by Stephen Curry and Jason Pumpelly

Considerations for banks with high commercial real estate exposure, from Stephen Curry and Jason Pumpelly.

General

Newsletter

This Month at Endurance #42

Firm newsletter covering a Trump-era proposal to shrink or eliminate federal bank regulators, plus related banking notes.

M&A & Corporate Finance

Bank Mergers and Acquisitions Outlook for 2025

Deal volume recovered from the 2023 trough to 130 deals in 2024 and a 140 to 160 pace in 2025. What is driving it: mark-to-market pressure, geographic scale, technology investment, and CEO succession.

General

9/11 - A Personal Perspective by Stephen K. Curry

From the 48th floor of 9 West 57th, four miles north. An account of the day, the roll call that ran past midnight, and the colleagues who did not make it home.

How Much Liquidity Is Enough? By Stephen Curry

Liquidity is a critical component of a bank's financial stability, impacting its ability to meet short-term financial obligations and weather unforeseen economic challenges. The ideal level of liquidity for a bank is influenced by a multitude of factors, including its size, business model, risk tolerance, and regulatory obligations. This article explores the dynamic world of bank liquidity and the key ratios that regulators and financial institutions closely monitor to ensure sound financial management.

Risk & Compliance

In the Media

2024: Another Year of Regulatory Intensity by Stephen Curry

A look at the regulatory intensity facing banks in 2024, by Stephen Curry.

Syndicated Loan Market 2020 Review & 2021 Outlook

2020 was a year of promise followed by ominous clouds, fear, loss, uncertainty, and a splash of optimism. Circling back to see how the Loan Market fared in 2020, it would appear not much has changed. The second half comeback resulted in Fiscal Year 2020 total return of 3.12%, despite losses of as much as 20% in March when the COVID-19 panic and its impact on businesses garnered headlines worldwide.