More than just an acronym, the Small Business Administration has been around since 1953, serving small businesses around the country in more ways than one. BBVA Compass has consistently used the phrase, “cornerstones of thriving communities” when describing small businesses, and the SBA is a big help in molding those cornerstones.

Each year around August a new round of freshman begin to descend on colleges across the country, armed with everything needed for their first shot at independence. Of all the tools in their arsenal, a checking account might be one of the most important.

BBVA Compass Bancshares, Inc., a Sunbelt-based bank holding company (BBVA Compass), reported today net income of $184 million for the second quarter of 2018, a 17 percent increase from the $157 million earned during the second quarter of 2017. Return on average assets and return on average tangible equity(1) for the second quarter of 2018 were 0.83 percent and 9.05 percent, respectively.

Net income for the first six months of 2018 totaled $393 million, an increase of 41 percent from the $278 million earned during the first six months of 2017. Return on average assets and return on average tangible equity(1) for the first six months of 2018 were 0.90 percent and 9.77 percent, respectively.

Türkiye Garanti Bankası A.Ş. announced its financial statements for the first half to June 30, 2018. On a consolidated financial basis, in the first six months of 2018, Garanti had assets of TL384.878 billion, while its contribution to the economy through cash and non-cash loans increased to TL319.244 billion. The Bank’s ROAE (Return on Average Equity) was 18.1 percent and ROAA (Return on Average Assets) 2.1 percent.

BBVA reported net attributable profit of €2.65 billion for the first six months of 2018, up 14.9 percent from the same period a year earlier (+29.5 percent in constant terms). Upbeat revenue trends, containment in operating expenses, and lower loan-loss impairments and provisions were the key drivers of growth.

The European Central Bank on Thursday announced it is maintaining its monetary policy unchanged. Interest rates will remain at current levels until the summer of 2019 or “as long as necessary”, as announced in its June meeting. In doing so, ECB President Mario Draghi gave no further clarification on the next steps in the bank’s roadmap and intoned the mantra of prudence and patience.