On the international stage, banks a

On the international stage, banks are re-examining their
business profile against Basel III capital requirements and
other strategic priorities. European banks are shoring up their
capital levels amid prospects of stricter regulatory oversight.
Consequently, many banks – especially the large universal
ones – are trimming domestic and international assets that
are riskier, noncore, or yielding low returns on capital.

Amidst this regulatory overhaul, many nonbanks are taking
advantage of limited regulatory oversight and banks’ capital
pressures. They are increasingly expanding beyond the realms
of technology and infrastructure-centric payment platforms
to traditional banking products, such as business lending.8
These pressures in commercial lending, combined with low
loan demand, are leading some banks to ease underwriting
standards and loan covenants to remain competitive.9