30
Wisconsin Community Banker
January/February 2014
Community Bankers of Wisconsin Bank Survey
CBW Community Bank Survey Summary
More Than One Fourth of Wisconsin Community Bankers
Expect Improved Economy
MADISON—Expectations for an improving economy
are on the rise in the Federal Reserve Districts covering
Wisconsin, according to a January survey of commu-
nity bankers. Community Bankers of Wisconsin (CBW)
released results from the first quarter survey, conducted
in partnership with Vining Sparks. More than a quarter
of bank respondents—29.6 percent in the Chicago Fed-
eral Reserve District and 26.3 percent in the Minneapolis
Federal Reserve District—expect the economy to improve
in 2014. These two Federal Reserve districts cover all banks
in Wisconsin.
Nationally 31.1 percent of responding community bank-
ers expect to see an improving economy in 2014. This is
12.5 percent higher than the previous survey in October
2013.
Expectations for loan growth are also on the rise in the
Upper Midwest, with 71.1 percent of community bank
respondents in the Minneapolis District expecting loan
growth this year, and 58.0 percent of Chicago District
respondents agreeing. Nationally, 66.4 percent of respond-
ing banks expect to see loan growth. This number is 9.6
percent higher than the result reported in the October 2013
survey.
The number of community respondents expecting to
see growth in their banks’ core deposits in 2014 was 43.2
percent in the Chicago District, 18.4 percent in the Minne-
apolis District, and 41.3 percent nationally across all Federal
Reserve districts.
Almost one quarter of community bank respondents
nationally expect bank profitability to grow this year,
including only 6.2 percent of Chicago District respondents
and 26.3 percent of Minneapolis District respondents. The
biggest concern impacting profitability was the regulatory
environment.
Change in Net Response vs Previous Quarter
+9.6
Loan
Growth
-1.8%
Asset
Growth
-1.6
Deposit
Growth
+5.7%
Increased
Profitability
-4.1%
Growth in
Capital Ratio
+12.5%
Improving
Economy
About the Survey
Vining Sparks and Independent Community Bankers of
America conduct a quarterly survey of community bankers to
gauge cumulative expectations on behalf of their institutions
about financial and economic data in the next 12 months. At
the request of CBW, data is now available by Federal Reserve
District, providing a more reliable measure of bank expecta-
tions in Wisconsin.
