The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) states that key indicators in the banking industry have improved despite a decline in profits.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) stated that despite a slight decline in overall profits, the U.S. banking industry saw improvement in key indicators in the fourth quarter, while the deposit insurance fund, which serves as the industry's cornerstone, continued to grow slightly. The FDIC's quarterly assessment of 4,336 insured institutions in the U.S. showed that the industry's net profits for the quarter decreased by 2% from the previous quarter to $77.7 billion. However, annual profits increased by 10% to $295.6 billion, with growth in net interest and non-interest income offsetting rising costs. Boosted by a 2.2% growth in net interest income, the industry's net interest margin expanded to 3.39% for the quarter. The FDIC deposit insurance fund grew by $3.7 billion to $153.9 billion for the quarter, providing protection for depositors in case of bank failures. "The banking industry continues to maintain strong capital and liquidity levels, which helps support lending and withstand potential losses," said FDIC Chairman Travis Hill, who emphasized the acceleration of loan and domestic deposit growth.