US banks including Capital One, PNC Financial Services Group and Fifth Third Bancorp had their debt-rating outlooks cut by Moody’s Investors Service, which said the US banking sector is facing “several sources of strain.”
The sources of strain include funding pressures, regulatory capital weaknesses and rising risks associated with commercial real estate exposures, according to the ratings provider.
“US banks’ 2Q earnings showed material increases in funding costs as well as profitability pressures related to the significant and rapid tightening in monetary policy and inverted Treasury curve, which will continue to lower profitability and implies a weaker ability to generate capital internally,” Moody’s said.
Some banks have curbed loan growth, which preserves capital but also slows the shift in their loan mix toward higher-yielding assets, Moody’s said.
Banks that depend on more concentrated or higher levels of uninsured deposits are more exposed to these pressures, especially banks with high levels of fixed-rate securities and loans.
Moody’s also lowered the outlooks on Huntington Bancshares, Citizens Financial Group, Regions Financial, Ally Financial and Bank OZK, while placing the ratings of Bank of New York Mellon, US Bancorp, State Street and Truist on review for downgrade.
