WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — Bank profits rose in the first quarter of 2012, reaching their highest quarterly levels since the second quarter of 2007, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s quarterly banking report, released Thursday. However, total loan and lease balances on the books of banks declined by $56 billion in the quarter, a situation that FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said was “disappointing” after the industry saw three quarters of growth last year. Bank net income for the first quarter of 2012 was $35.3 billion, up by $6.6 billion from the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, revenues — driven partly by gains on loan sales — increased for only the second time in the past five quarters. Net operating revenue increased by $5 billion from the year-earlier querter. The FDIC said that once again lower provisions for loan losses contributed to earnings improvement. The number of banks on the FDIC’s “problem list” fell to 772 from 813 during the first quarter of 2012, and the assets of problem institutions declined to $292 billion from $319 billion.
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