Auto lending

The Spanish bank’s U.S. holding company said it will pay a premium to purchase the publicly traded shares in Santander Consumer Holdings. The proposal is subject to the approval of the auto lender’s board of directors.

Surging used-car prices — brought on by a combination of strong consumer demand and limited new-vehicle supply — are boosting loan yields and profits at the Detroit company.

In the midst of the pandemic recession, banks have benefited from government stimulus payments to consumers, low interest rates and constraints on the supply of new vehicles. But intensifying competition and real concerns about borrowers’ ability to pay loans that went into forbearance could soon threaten profits and credit quality.

Rohit Chopra, President Biden’s nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has not minced words in calling out private companies for wrongdoing. He could get a grilling from Banking Committee Republicans and some opposition on the Senate floor.

The extension rates were the highest since the peak of lender deferrals granted in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The automaker is reportedly planning to apply for a bank charter so it could collect deposits and grow its own auto-finance business. That could create more competition for Ally, which was spun off from GM in 2006 but remains a key lending partner.

Payment rates for auto lenders and credit card issuers have remained strong despite a spike in unemployment. Whether these trends continue into 2021 will depend largely on the actions of Congress and the pace of medical advances.

The subprime lender cited low odds that Washington will deliver further economic relief, and the fact that $1.5 billion of loans whose deferral period expired are now more than 30 days behind.

Kathy Kraninger’s job status would be in question if Joe Biden wins the White House. If the president is reelected, she may continue balancing a deregulatory agenda with her unexpectedly tough stance on enforcement.

Market conditions allowed for a larger bond issuance, as well as interest rate pricing that was less than half that of the coupons the captive-finance lender offered investors from its prior May issuance of auto loan asset-backed securities.