• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation

3

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

S&P: Bank crisis still in fifth inning

By
Colin Barr
Colin Barr
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Colin Barr
Colin Barr
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 8, 2010, 7:10 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Bank profits seem to be picking up, but it may be years before investors will reap the rewards.

So say the two big rating agencies, Moody’s and S&P. They issued reports Wednesday that were similarly skeptical of U.S. banks’ prospects over the next few years, given the weak economy and the unsettled regulatory picture.



Not the only problem

The agencies differed mostly in their view of the scale of the toxic asset cleanup ahead. Moody’s said the banks have dealt with two-thirds of their losses, while S&P believes the healing process is barely halfway done.

Moody’s wrote that banks are “over the river but not yet through the woods” when it comes to dealing with problem assets. It estimated they have taken $476 billion of losses since the crisis started in 2008, leaving them about two-thirds of the way through their bubble trouble.

That’s the good news, such as it is.

“Although sizeable, the remaining losses are beginning to look manageable in relation to these banks’ loan loss allowances and tangible common equity,” Moody’s Senior Vice President Craig Emrick said. He put the remaining tab at $268 billion.

Even so, the agency gives the industry a negative outlook and warns that “a worsening of the global economy in 2010 would significantly strain U.S. bank fundamental credit quality and ratings absent mitigating actions to bolster capital.”

The S&P report is even more sobering, contending that banks are barely past the halfway point in recognizing crisis-related losses. It estimates that the banks have recognized $435 billion in losses, which leaves them $365 billion away from pay dirt.

What’s more, recent profit gains may prove illusory, S&P analyst Rodrigo Quintanilla warned, noting that banks are reducing their loan loss reserves at a time when it’s not at all clear they won’t have to be restored if economic conditions weaken.

“U.S. banks’ quarterly profitability in second-quarter 2010 reached its highest level since first-quarter 2008,” he wrote. “However, because most of this improvement related to credit reserve releases (loan-loss provisions not matching net charge-offs), in Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services’ view the quality of earnings was not high.”

What may soon again be high is the layoff count, contends a third report, by banks analyst Meredith Whitney. She writes that Wall Street is on the verge of another downsizing, its second of the current cycle, as banks adjust to weakening profits in fixed income markets.

“We expect layoffs of between 40,000 to 80,000, or 5-10% of current levels, for U.S. Securities/Investments workers,” Whitney writes.

And while firms that have good emerging markets businesses will be less apt to swing the ax, “U.S. and Europe-centric firms will have more painful restructuring and downsizing.”

With all the good cheer out there, it’s no surprise that the JPMorgans  and Bank of Americas  of the world find themselves near their 52-week lows.

About the Author
By Colin Barr
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

George Soros never signed the Giving Pledge. He’s given away more of his fortune than the billionaires who did
Successphilanthropy
George Soros never signed the Giving Pledge. He’s given away more of his fortune than the billionaires who did
By Sydney LakeJuly 22, 2026
46 minutes ago
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 22, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 22, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 22, 2026
47 minutes ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 22, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 22, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 22, 2026
47 minutes ago
Mortgage rates today, July 22, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 22, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 22, 2026
47 minutes ago
Sam Altman and Jony Ive formed a dream team to reinvent hardware. Now it’s at the center of a battle for OpenAI’s future
Big TechOpenAI
Sam Altman and Jony Ive formed a dream team to reinvent hardware. Now it’s at the center of a battle for OpenAI’s future
By Emily Forlini and Sebastian HerreraJuly 22, 2026
47 minutes ago
After SpaceX’s $2 trillion debut, investors are eyeing Anthropic and OpenAI. Market experts share how to play the next trillion-dollar IPO
MagazineIPOs
After SpaceX’s $2 trillion debut, investors are eyeing Anthropic and OpenAI. Market experts share how to play the next trillion-dollar IPO
By Amanda GerutJuly 22, 2026
48 minutes ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
Cybersecurity
OpenAI says its AI models secretly broke out of a secure test environment and hacked into AI company Hugging Face in order to cheat on an evaluation
By Jeremy Kahn and Emily ForliniJuly 21, 2026
12 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
2 days ago
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
AI
Mathematicians grapple with a ‘very rapid and very unsettling change’ as AI cracks yet another century-old problem
By Eva RoytburgJuly 21, 2026
16 hours ago
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
Success
Despite a $156 million contract, Knicks star Jalen Brunson still calls his parents for financial advice any time he makes a big purchase
By Emma BurleighJuly 21, 2026
17 hours ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.