Topic: How To Invest

Hello Pat, Could I please ask for your advice on a U.S. equity: PNC Financial Services? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

PNC Financial Services, $61.33, symbol PNC on New York (Shares outstanding: 525.4 million; Market cap: $32.2 billion; www.pnc.com), is one of the largest bank holding companies in the U.S., based on assets. Its main markets include Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania. PNC’s businesses include regional and corporate banking, real-estate finance, asset-based lending, wealth and asset management. Its loan breakdown is as follows: commercial, 35%; consumer, 36%; residential mortgage, 12%; commercial real estate, 13%, and other 4%. The company faces challenges in the near term. Increasing regulation in the financial sector could hurt its fee income, and loan demand continues to be weak. Still, PNC’s long-term outlook is positive, and the stock trades at 11.0 times this year’s forecast earnings of $5.60 a share. PNC is okay to hold. hold. …