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7/25/24, 11:26 AM

FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

Joint Press Release

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

Printable version (41 KB PDF)
For Immediate Release

September 15, 2005

Data Show Continued Improvement in Credit Quality, Slight Increase in Credit 1
Commitment Volume
The quality of syndicated bank credits showed continued improvement this year, according to
the Shared National Credit (SNC)2 review released today by federal bank and thrift
regulators. The review, which encompassed credits of at least $20 million that are shared by
three or more financial institutions, also found that most industries exhibit much improved
credit quality from peak problem levels experienced only a few years ago.
The results--reported by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of
the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office
of Thrift Supervision--are based on analyses prepared in the second quarter of 2005 and
reflect business and economic conditions at that time.
Total classified credit commitments (those rated as either substandard, doubtful or loss) fell
by $21.5 billion, or 29 percent, from the previous year, compared with a net decrease of
$78.2 billion, or 51 percent, the year before. Commitments rated special mention decreased
by $7.0 billion, or 21 percent, in contrast to 2004 when they fell by $22.4 billion, or 41
percent. None of these figures includes the effects of hedging or other techniques that
organizations often employ to mitigate risk.
The ratio of classified credit commitments to total commitments fell to 3.2 percent, the
lowest level since 1999. Total adversely rated credits 3 (classified and special mention
combined) also fell considerably, to 4.8 percent of total commitments (see Chart 1 below).

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FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

Overview
In aggregate, the 2005 SNC Program covered 6,817 credits totaling $1.6 trillion in credit
commitments to 4,579 borrowers. Total commitments were up by 5.3 percent from the prior
year, the first increase since 2001. However, the current level is 21 percent below the 2001
peak of $2.0 trillion. The increase in 2005 total commitments is consistent with market data
pointing to higher customer demand and increased competition among a variety of lenders to
provide new funds. Total outstandings, or drawn amounts, of $522 billion were up 4 percent
from the prior year.
For the 2005 review, total credit commitments classified as substandard fell $10.9 billion, or
20 percent from the prior year, while doubtful credits dropped by $6.9 billion or 55 percent
(see Table 1 below). Commitments classified as loss fell $3.7 billion, down 58 percent from
the prior year. The portion of outstanding nonaccrual4 classified credits fell to $19.3 billion.

Table 1 SNC Classifications ($ billions)
Total Commitments

Substandard
Doubtful
Loss
Total
Classified
Percent of
Commitments
Memo:
Nonaccrual
classified

% Change
2004 - 2005
-20%
-55%
-58%
-29%

-36%

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

44.2
5.6
2.7

55.1
12.5
6.4

112.2
29.3
10.7

112.0
26.1
19.1

86.9
22.6
7.8

52.5

74.0

152.2

157.1

117.3

3.2%

4.8%

9.3%

8.4%

5.7%

19.3

30.1

51.0

51.0

N/A

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Special
Mention
Total
Criticized
Percent of
Commitments
Total SNC
Commitments

FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

-21%

25.9

32.8

55.2

79.0

75.5

-27%

78.4

106.8

207.5

236.1

192.8

4.8%

6.9%

12.6%

12.6%

9.4%

1,627

1,545

1,644

1,871

2,050

5.3%

Industry Trends
The quality of syndicated credits improved in most industries (see Appendix B)5. The
strongest improvement in dollar terms occurred in the Oil, Gas, Pipelines and Utilities, with a
$10.2 billion, or 42 percent, decline in classified commitments. However, the level of
classified credits in this segment remains significantly elevated, with 7.5 percent of
commitments classified. Telecommunications and Cable was the only segment to exhibit an
increase in classification levels, largely due to the migration of credits previously criticized
into the classified categories. Well-documented problems facing the airline industry continue
to drive classifications in the Lodging and Transportation segment. The remaining segments
showed modest classification rates that were below the average those for the entire SNC
program.
Credits identified for special mention fell by $7.0 billion, or 21 percent, with strong declines
experienced in most industries except Manufacturing. This segment experienced a notable
increase in special mention volume due to problems in the automotive manufacturing sector.
Of total loss classifications in 2005, $1.1 billion, or 42 percent, were directly attributable to
the energy sector, most of which is related to outcomes of bankruptcy filings. The remaining
losses were spread across a variety of industries.
Trends by Entity Type
During 2005, the share of SNC commitments held by U.S. banks edged down 1 percentage
point to 45 percent. Over the past several years, lenders not affiliated with banks, such as
brokerage firms, mutual funds, insurance companies, and hedge funds, have taken on larger
positions in the SNC program. These nonbank6 entities have increased their share to 13
percent compared to 8 percent four years ago. Compared to last year, the share held by
foreign banking organizations (FBOs) held steady at 42 percent in 2005 (see Table 2). U.S.
banks and FBOs showed a decrease in classified assets, while nonbank classifications
increased from the prior year. The quality of holdings also varied among entity types, with
classifieds amounting to 1.6 percent of total commitments at U.S. banks, compared with 2.3
percent at FBOs and 11.7 percent at nonbanks. Total nonaccrual outstandings improved for
all entity types. Most notably, U.S. banks experienced a 42 percent decline.

Table 2 Exposures by Entity Type
2005

2004

2003

2002 2001

45%
42%
13%

46%
42%
12%

45%
44%
11%

45%
45%
10%

46%
46%
8%

11.9

18.8

43.6

54.4

48.7

Share of Total Commitments
U.S. Banks
FBOs
Nonbanks
Total Classifications ($ Billions)
U.S. Banks

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FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

FBOs
Nonbanks
Totals

15.5
25.1
52.5

31.3
23.9
74.0

65.0
43.6
152.2

61.7 44.3
41.1 24.5
157.2 117.5

-37.0%
-50.5%
5.2%
-29.1%

-56.8%
-51.8%
-45.3%
-51.4%

-20.0%
5.5%
6.2%
-3.2%

11.8% 85.5%
39.2% 99.4%
67.9% 76.0%
33.8% 88.3%

1.6%
2.3%
11.7%
3.2%

2.6%
4.9%
12.9%
4.8%

5.8%
9.0%
24.4%
9.3%

6.4%
7.3%
23.0%
8.4%

5.1%
4.7%
14.6%
5.7%

3.3
6.6
9.4
19.3

5.7
13.4
11.0
30.1

13.3
22.8
15.0
51.1

15.5
19.8
15.7
51.0

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

Total Classifications (% Increase)
U.S. Banks
FBOs
Nonbanks
Totals
Classifieds as % of Commitments
U.S. Banks
FBOs
Nonbanks
Totals
Total NonAccrual Outstanding ($ Billions)
U.S. Banks
FBOs
Nonbanks
Totals

Risk Management by Banks
Banking organizations remain vigilant in identifying problem credits and have generally
reflected the appropriate risk rating in their internal ratings of credits in the SNC program.
Although credit quality has improved, banking organizations must continue to carefully
monitor the condition of their borrowers to ensure that they promptly identify and address
any emerging weaknesses and adjust loan loss allowance levels appropriately.7
Media Contacts:
FRB: Andrew Williams (202) 452-2955
OCC: Dean Debuck
(202) 874-5770
FDIC: Frank Gresock
OTS: Erin Hickman

(202) 898-6634
(202) 906-6677
Appendix A
Committed and Outstanding Balances
(Dollars in Billions)

Year

Special
Mention

Substandard

Doubtful

Loss

1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996

24.0
43.1
49.2
50.4
31.4
31.5
18.8
16.8

18.5
50.8
65.5
56.4
50.4
31.1
25.0
23.1

3.5
5.8
10.8
12.8
6.7
2.7
1.7
2.6

0.9
1.8
3.5
3.3
3.5
2.3
1.5
1.4

Total
Total
Total
Total
Classified Criticized Committed Outstanding
22.9
58.4
79.8
72.5
60.6
36.1
28.2
27.1

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46.9
101.5
129.0
122.9
92.0
67.6
47.0
43.9

692
769
806
798
806
893
1,063
1,200

245
321
361
357
332
298
343
372
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1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

19.6
22.8
31.3
36.3
75.5
79.0
55.2
32.8
25.9

19.4
17.6
31.0
47.9
86.9
112.0
112.1
55.1
44.2

1.9
3.5
4.9
10.7
22.6
26.1
29.3
12.5
5.6

0.9
0.9
1.5
4.7
7.8
19.1
10.7
6.4
2.7

22.2
22.0
37.4
63.3
117.3
157.1
152.2
74.0
52.5

41.8
44.8
68.7
99.6
192.8
236.1
207.4
106.8
78.3

1,435
1,759
1,829
1,951
2,050
1,871
1,644
1,545
1,627

423
562
628
705
769
692
600
500
522

Appendix B8
Summary of Shared National Credit Industry Trends
(Dollars in Billions)

Industry

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

Commitment

123.7

120.2

149.7

174.1

197.5

Classified

17.0

13.1

35.7

38.1

6.9

Special Mention

2.5

10.8

7.0

9.0

10.0

% Classified

13.7%

10.9%

23.8%

21.9%

3.5%

% Special Mention

2.0%

9.0%

4.7%

5.1%

5.0%

Commitment

409.7

400.1

424.4

494.8

540.5

Classified

10.7

19.6

42.6

60.9

58.1

Special Mention

16.6

6.9

22.8

26.2

27.0

% Classified

2.6%

4.9%

10.0%

12.3%

10.8%

% Special Mention

4.0%

1.7%

5.4%

5.3%

5.0%

102.2

107.3

122.4

124.9

157.9

Classified

1.5

3.3

6.8

8.8

11.9

Special Mention

1.3

1.1

1.8

2.3

4.5

% Classified

1.5%

3.1%

5.5%

7.0%

7.5%

% Special Mention

1.3%

1.0%

1.5%

1.9%

2.8%

Commitment

186.4

175.7

200.5

229.5

222.8

Classified

14.1

24.2

38.1

17.1

4.3

Special Mention

1.9

10.1

12.3

15.5

7.0

% Classified

7.5%

13.8%

19.0%

7.4%

1.9%

% Special Mention

1.0%

5.8%

6.1%

6.8%

3.1%

Telecommunication & Cable

Manufacturing

Professional, Scientific, & Other Services
Commitment

Oil, Gas, Pipeline & Utilities

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FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

Construction & Real Estate
Commitment

107.9

90.2

87.5

96.7

100.1

Classified

0.7

2.5

3.6

4.1

4.7

Special Mention

0.3

0.9

2.3

3.2

1.9

% Classified

0.6%

2.8%

4.1%

4.2%

4.7%

% Special Mention

0.2%

1.0%

2.6%

3.3%

1.9%

Commitment

76.5

74.1

74.8

82.9

99.1

Classified

3.7

5.2

7.7

6.6

3.1

Special Mention

0.8

0.7

1.8

5.3

6.7

% Classified

4.9%

7.1%

10.3%

7.9%

3.1%

% Special Mention

1.1%

1.0%

2.4%

6.4%

6.8%

336.0

337.1

343.3

376.5

420.0

Classified

0.1

2.1

6.7

8.9

11.9

Special Mention

0.2

0.5

2.5

2.9

4.4

% Classified

0.0%

0.6%

1.9%

2.4%

2.8%

% Special Mention

0.1%

0.2%

0.7%

0.8%

1.1%

284.2

240.4

241.0

291.6

310.8

Classified

4.7

3.8

11.0

12.7

16.5

Special Mention

2.4

1.8

4.7

14.6

13.9

% Classified

1.6%

1.6%

4.6%

4.4%

5.3%

% Special Mention

0.8%

0.7%

2.0%

5.0%

4.5%

1,626.7

1,545.2

1,643.5

Classified

52.5

72.4

152.2

157.1

117.5

Special Mention

25.9

32.8

55.2

79.0

75.4

% Classified

3.2%

4.7%

9.3%

8.4%

5.7%

% Special Mention

1.6%

2.1%

3.4%

4.2%

3.7%

Lodging & Transportation

Financial Services & Insurance
Commitment

All Other
Commitment

All Industries (Total)
Commitment

1,871.0 2,048.9

Footnotes
1. Credits include syndicated loans and loan commitments, letters of credit, commercial
leases, as well as other forms of credit. Credit commitments include both drawn and undrawn
portions of credit facilities. This release reports only the par amounts of commitments; these
may differ from the amounts at which loans are carried by investors.Return to text

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FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

2. The Shared National Credit (SNC) Program was established in 1977 by the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and
the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. In 2001 the Office of Thrift Supervision
became an assisting agency. With a few exceptions, the annual program, which seeks to
provide an efficient and consistent review and classification of large syndicated loans,
generally covers loans or loan commitments of at least $20 million that are shared by three or
more financial institutions. Return to text
3. Adversely rated credits (also known as criticized credits) are the total of credits classified
substandard, doubtful, and loss - and credits rated special mention. Classified credits are only
those rated substandard, doubtful, and loss. Under the agencies' Uniform Loan Classification
Standards, classified credits have well-defined weaknesses, including default in some cases.
Special mention credits exhibit potential weaknesses, which may result in further
deterioration if left uncorrected.
Excerpt from Federal Reserve's SR Letter 79-556 defining regulatory classifications:
Classification ratings are defined as "Substandard," "Doubtful," and "Loss." A Substandard
asset is inadequately protected by the current sound worth and paying capacity of the obligor
or of the collateral pledged, if any. Assets so classified must have a well-defined weakness or
weaknesses that jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. They are characterized by the distinct
possibility that the bank will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected. An asset
classified as Doubtful has all the weakness inherent in one classified Substandard with the
added characteristic that the weaknesses make the collection or liquidation in full, on the
basis of currently existing facts, conditions, and values, highly questionable and improbable.
Assets classified as Loss are considered uncollectible and of such little value that their
continuance as bankable assets is not warranted. This classification does not mean that the
asset has absolutely no recovery or salvage value, but rather it is not practical or desirable to
defer writing off this basically worthless asset even though partial recovery may be effected
in the future.
Excerpt from June 10, 1993 Interagency Statement on the Supervisory Definition of Special
Mention Assets:
A Special Mention asset has potential weaknesses that deserve management's close attention.
If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment
prospects for the asset or in the institution's credit position at some future date. Special
Mention assets are not adversely classified and do not expose an institution to sufficient risk
to warrant adverse classification. Return to text
4. Nonaccrual loans are defined for regulatory reporting purposes as "loans and lease
financing receivables that are required to be reported on a nonaccrual basis because (a) they
are maintained on a cash basis due to a deterioration in the financial position of the borrower,
(b) payment in full of interest or principal is not expected, or (c) principal or interest has been
in default for 90 days or longer, unless the obligation is both well secured and in the process
of collection." In Table 1, nonaccrual classifieds are those funded or outstanding portions of
loans classified as substandard and doubtful which are not accruing interest. For 2005, this
consisted of $14.8 billion in loans rated substandard and $4.5 billion rated doubtful. Return
to text
5. Note that the current industry totals categorize borrowers using 2002 NAICS codes, in
contrast to prior release of SNC data which categorized borrowers using 1997 NAICS codes.
Return to text
6. Nonbanks include a wide range of institutional investors. Return to text

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FRB: Press Release--Data show continued improvement in credit quality and increase in credit commitment volume-September 15…

7. For further guidance, institutions should refer to the July 12, 1999 Joint Interagency Letter
to Financial Institutions on the allowance for loan losses, as well as the July 2, 2001
Interagency Policy Statement on Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses (ALLL)
Methodologies and Documentation for Banks and Savings Institutions. Return to text
8. NAICS groupings of industries identified in Appendix B are as follows:
Telecommunication & Cable - 5132 through 51339; Manufacturing - 31 through 33 and 5121
through 5131; Professional, Scientific, and Other Services - 54, 55, 56, 61, and 62; Oil, Gas,
Pipelines, and Utilities - 21 (oil- & gas-related only), 22, and 486; Construction & Real
Estate - 23 and 53; Lodging and Transportation - 48 (excluding 486), 49, and 72; Financial
Services and Insurance - 52; and All Other - remaining NAICS codes. Prior year data has
been restated to reflect industry categorizations using 2002 NAICS groupings rather than
1997 NAICS groupings used in prior data releases. Return to text
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