US Agencies Publish Results of the Shared National Credit Review

Federal banking agencies find that risk in the portfolio of large syndicated bank loans has declined, due to improving conditions in most sectors. Despite the improvement, the dollar volume of loans rated below "pass," as a percentage of total loans, remains elevated compared with levels experienced in prior economic cycles, according to the Shared National Credit (SNC) Program Review. The 2018 SNC portfolio included 8,571 credit facilities to 5,314 borrowers, totaling USD 4.4 trillion, up from USD 4.3 trillion in 2017. U.S. banks held the greatest volume of SNC commitments at 44.3% of the portfolio, followed by foreign banking organizations and other investor entities such as securitization pools, hedge funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. Effective January 01, 2018, the agencies increased the minimum aggregate loan commitment threshold to be included in the review from USD 20 million to USD 100 million. Under the revised definition, loan commitments increased modestly compared with levels reported in 2017. The number of borrowers and credit facilities, however, has declined.

The SNC Program is an interagency review and assessment of risk in the largest and most complex credits shared by multiple regulated financial institutions. SNC reviews are completed in the first and third quarters of the calendar year, with some banks receiving two reviews and others receiving a single review each year. The results discussed in this document are based on examinations conducted in the first and third quarters of 2018. Trends and exhibits shown in the report include data submitted by all reporting banks. Although some banks are examined twice a year, the agencies will continue to issue a single statement annually that captures combined findings from the previous 12 months. The next statement will be released on completion of the third quarter 2019 SNC examination.

Related Links

• Press Release
• Report (PDF)

Keywords: Americas, US, Banking, Credit Risk, SNC Loans, US Agencies