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Empresas y finanzas

Outlook better for some regional banks


    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some banking analysts are bullish on U.S. regional banks as they expect fourth-quarter results to bring improved earnings per share and capital-ratio visibility, Barron's reported on Sunday.

    Credit Suisse analyst Craig Siegenthalter says that while some regional banks will probably miss earnings estimates when results are announced in coming weeks, he believes the rate of change in non-performing assets and earnings charge-offs will move close to zero, Barron's reported.

    Loan-loss provisions should peak in the fourth quarter, Siegenthalter said.

    "If problem loans don't grow as much as expected and the deceleration is bigger than expected, that will cause a lot of buying of these stocks," Barron's quoted Siegenthalter as saying.

    Stocks he rates as "outperform" include Bank of Hawaii Corp , Fifth Third Bancorp , First Horizon National Corp and SunTrust Banks Inc , the newspaper said.

    David Kovacs, a chief investment officer at Turner Investment Partners, told Barron's his favorites include Regions Financial , Huntington Bancshares Inc , Marshall & Ilsley Corp and Susquehanna Bancshares .

    (Editing by Leslie Adler)