Commercial lending

The London interbank offered rate will likely be replaced by a new reference rate that critics say is better suited for the derivatives market than it is for commercial lending.

First the House and now the Senate have included provisions in their regulatory relief bills that bankers say would go a long way toward clearing up confusion over how to treat high-volatility commercial real estate loans.

If the Fed order is lifted quickly — a big if — then the impact on Wells should be minimal. But if it lingers past 2018, then the bank could find itself on the losing end of the battle for customers and top talent.

Credit standards for commercial loans to medium and large firms showed some signs of easing over the last three months of 2017, even though demand stayed relatively unchanged.

Banks that have flocked to the business because of higher yields and loan diversity stand to benefit if clients use tax savings to upgrade equipment.

With online retailers beginning to challenge the dominance of brick-and-mortar grocery stores, CRE loans to strip mails anchored by them look riskier.

A Fed committee studying Libor’s replacement has dwelled heavily on the potential impact to the derivatives market. Loans may become a bigger part of the conversation later this year, but the panel plans to leave a lot of the specifics up to lenders.

Rather than working with large-scale investors, Freddie Mac said it will focus on assisting community organizations and local institutions to fund single-family properties for renters with special needs.