TWST: Your coverage of regional banking is very broad. What are the top trends investors can expect to emerge or develop in 2012?
Mr. DelMonte: One trend we're closely watching is loan growth. I know a lot of effort has been put forth by the government to try to jump-start the economy, and we're looking for positive signs that banks are seeing and increasing lending trends. For now, we're starting to see some signs of that, but we're cautiously optimistic that we'll continue to see an increase in lending activity throughout the year and as we progress into 2013.
TWST: Some analysts say even qualified borrowers don't have the appetite to take out new loans yet. Do you observe that trend? Are there certain types of loans experiencing better growth than others, perhaps creating some pockets of opportunity for your banks?
