By Jeff McKinney
Enquirer staff writer

Strong consumer loan growth and fewer charge-offs for bad loans should help three of Greater Cincinnati's largest banks ring up higher second-quarter profits, an industry analyst says.

But two other banks with a big presence in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky market will not see such good results, according to Fred Cummings of KeyBanc Capital Markets in Cleveland.

The banks will begin releasing second-quarter results next week.

Cummings forecasts that Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bancorp will post an 11.3 percent gain in second-quarter profits. He said good loan growth, higher fee income and fewer losses on loans should benefit Fifth Third.

Solid consumer loan growth should help Columbus-based Huntington Bancshares Inc. and Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp each post double-digit profits in the second quarter, he added. But results will not be as bullish for Cleveland-based National City Corp., which last week completed its buyout of Cincinnati-based Provident Financial Group Inc., parent of Provident Bank and the region's second-largest bank.

Cummings said the rise in mortgage rates could reduce mortgage-banking income for National City and could result in a 20.2 percent drop in the bank's second-quarter profits.

Cummings said second-quarter profits for Hamilton-based First Financial Bancorp could be flat. First Financial's profits continue to be hurt by sluggish loan growth and a lower net interest margin - the difference between what banks charge on loans and what they pay on deposits.

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E-mail jmckinney@enquirer.com