Commercial and industrial loans for banks have often been a great source of revenue for banks. Often the loans are simpler and less complex products than those dreamed up in investment banks, and are made to small- and medium-sized companies that are generally the stalwarts of the American economic engine.
The Federal Reserve reported that total outstanding commercial and industrial loans in August stood at $1.57 trillion, nearly eclipsing the peak of $1.61 trillion seen in October 2008. This comes after outstanding loans fell 25% to $1.2 trillion in October 2010.
To see which regional bank that has been outpacing its peers in its growth of commercial loans on the balance sheet, click the slideshow below. Also, if you have you missed out on the massive gains in bank stocks over the past few years, there's good news: It's not too late. Bargains of a lifetime are still available, but you need to know where to look. The Motley Fool's new report "Finding the Next Bank Stock Home Run" will show you how and where to find these deals. It's completely free -- click here to get started.
1 Bank Aggressively Lending to Businesses from The Motley Fool.
