Despite the economic slowdown, the profitability of the U.S. commercial banking industry remained high in 2001. Although the weak economy contributed to a sharp rise in provisions for loan and lease losses, those losses were offset in large part by an advance in realized gains on investment...

The U.S. commercial banking industry continued to be quite profitable in 2006, and industry assets grew considerably. The strength in profitability and growth of bank balance sheets last year reflected favorable U.S. financial market conditions and the generally solid economic expansion....

The U.S. commercial banking industry continued to be quite profitable in 2006, and industry assets grew considerably. The strength in profitability and growth of bank balance sheets last year reflected favorable U.S. financial market conditions and the generally solid economic expansion....

Despite the lackluster performance of the U.S. economy, the profitability of the U.S. commercial banking industry was again high in 2002, and the return on bank assets reached its highest level in more than three decades. Profitability was spurred in considerable part by declines in market...

Amid a strengthening economic expansion, U.S. commercial banks remained highly profitable in 2003. Return on assets reached a record level for the second year in a row, and return on equity was near the top of its recent range. Banks' profits were bolstered by decreased loan-loss provisions as a...