USA: the number of banks in difficulty decreases, first time since 2006

The number of American banks considered to be in difficulty fell in the third quarter of this year, thus marking the first drop since the third quarter of 2006. This is what emerges from the data released today by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the American federal agency which oversees the industry and has the power to force the closure of a troubled financial institution.
At the end of June, out of a total of 7.513 institutions, there were 865 banks at risk, thus recording a decrease compared to the 888 at the end of March. The FDIC chairman noted that "banks have continued to make gradual but steady progress in recovering from financial market strains and a very deep recession." In fact, it must be emphasized that between April and June only 22 banks went bankrupt, i.e. the lowest number since the first quarter of 2009.
In terms of earnings, the US banking sector made profits of $28,8 billion during the quarter, totaling a 37,9% growth over a year ago but down from $28,9 billion in the first three months of the year. Furthermore, the fund available to the FDIC to cover the cost of bankruptcies rose to +3,9 billion from -1 billion at the end of March.