Banking

Fitch assumes a significant spike in defaults over the next few months, as well as declining new issuance volume during the second and third quarters of 2020, fewer maturing loans and fewer resolutions by special servicers.

The Fed's actions are designed to ensure the flow of credit to midsize businesses and state and local governments hit hard by the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Closed showrooms, temporary bans on repossessions and a sudden spike in unemployment have dimmed the prospects of a sector that has boomed since the last recession.

Mark Calabria needs to be working to secure a Fed facility for servicer advances and to support, not denigrate, smaller servicers, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Measures that delay the Current Expected Credit Losses standard and reduce a community bank capital ratio are temporary, but the industry now sees an opening to argue that they should be permanent.

The Small Business Administration said lenders approved $71 billion in loans from the Paycheck Protection Program in less than five days.

The Small Business Administration’s loan processing platform went down Monday for as long as four hours, temporarily halting the ability of lenders to process loans for small business owners seeking relief from the impact of the coronavirus.

Fitch expects a majority of European CLO junior notes to be placed on a potential downgrade watch due to enhanced evaluation for coronavirus-related stresses.

Lenders must balance the financial risk of extending credit without explicit backing from the Small Business Administration against the reputational risk of delaying aid for needy borrowers.

The central bank is creating a facility to provide financing to banks participating in the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.