So far this earnings season, results from the nation's largest banks aren't coming in pretty, but only the biggest bank in the land appears to be really struggling. Trends among smaller, regional players seem mixed, depending on their degrees of exposure to the troubled housing market.
Third-quarter results from Alabama-based Regions Financial
Quarterly earnings per share still fell more than 17% when excluding merger-related charges. One-time merger expenses reduced the bottom line another $0.08 per share to $0.56, but the recent acquisition of crosstown rival AmSouth again proved worthwhile. The deal adds clout to a favorable Southeastern marketplace, and it's creating plenty of cost-cutting opportunities.
The ability to wring out costs is helping offset other current operations challenges, which pushed the net interest margin down 47 basis points quarter over quarter -- to 3.74%. Return on equity, another key banking metric, also fell substantially, but managed to stay just above 20%, which is a solid number for any bank.
Management conceded that "business conditions continued to be less than optimal during the quarter, but our conservative operating culture continues to serve us well in this challenging environment." I found this an accurate summary for the quarter. Combined operations that resulted from the merger are offsetting weak loan trends, and a decrease in low-cost deposits as higher interest rates mean consumers have more options for investing their money.
I don't know how much longer Regions will be able to rely on cost cutting, but exposure to fast-growing Sunbelt states bodes well for its long-term outlook. Geographically challenged banks are increasingly looking south; Detroit-based Comerica
Throw in a low P/E multiple and 4.9% dividend yield, and Regions is definitely worth a look. Its market capitalization of $20 billion also suggests it has plenty of room to expand internally and acquire other banks.
For related Foolishness:
- Find other state rivals by Investing in Your Backyard: Alabama
- Last quarter also saw Further Savings for Regions Financial
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