5 Things U.S. Bancorp CEO Andy Cecere Wants Investors to Know

As Andy Cecere settles into the corner office at U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), it's become clear that he intends keep the bank on the same prudent and profitable course as his predecessor.

You can get a sense for this by listening to Cecere on the bank's quarterly earnings calls, where he hews closely to the fundamentals of banking that have contributed to U.S. Bancorp's success over the past 17 years. He did this most recently on U.S. Bancorp's second-quarter conference call, as you can see from five of the points he made on it.

1. Positive operating leverage

One of U.S. Bancorp's goals over the years has been to deliver positive operating leverage -- to grow revenue faster than expenses.

But this isn't easy in the current environment. A combination of low interest rates and higher compliance costs, coupled with the need to continue investing in technology, have stood in the way of this goal at most banks over the past few years, even U.S. Bancorp.

This isn't good, but it's important to keep things in perspective. U.S. Bancorp could have easily continued to drive positive operating leverage had it invested less in its business. But while that would have served to salve a short-term wound, it would have threatened to leave a long-term scar by giving the bank's competitors an opening to overtake it on the technological front, which is where the battle over the future of banking is being fought.

Either way, as Cecere noted on the call, U.S. Bancorp expects to begin generating positive operating again in the third and fourth quarters of this year.

2. Loan growth

Analysts and commentators grew concerned earlier this year with what appeared to be a slowing trend in loan growth, as uncertainty around policymakers' ability to deliver on regulatory and tax reforms seemed to stall in Washington, D.C. and thereby threaten to suppress business and consumer investment.

Loan growth isn't just important for banks, which look to lending for a substantial share of revenue. It also matters for the health of the economy more broadly, as credit fuels the country's economic engine.

Fortunately, Cecere says that this trend may have turned a corner:

3. Credit quality

Another concern of late has been souring credit quality in certain corners of the debt markets.

A recent report from Moody's showed that some of the nation's biggest banks have seen an uptick in credit card charge-offs. Other reports indicate that default rates among subprime auto loans are on the rise.

Fortunately, U.S. Bancorp has always been one of the industry's best managers of credit risk, which continues to be reflected in its latest results. According to Cecere:

4. Capital management

U.S. Bancorp has long prided itself on returning the lions' share of its earnings to stockholders every year by way of dividends and buybucks. And in June, it got the go-ahead from the Federal Reserve, as part of the annual stress testing process, to boost its payouts even more.

As Cecere noted on the call, U.S. Bancorp increased its dividend by 7.1% in the immediate wake of the stress tests and announced a new $2.6 billion share repurchase program that it will execute over the next 12 months.

5. Macro perspective

Finally, despite the uncertainty pulsing through the markets right now, evidenced by eerily low anticipated volatility in the stock market, Cecere is upbeat about the state of the economy:

All things considered, U.S. Bancorp turned in a typically solid performance for the three months ended June 30. Its stock isn't cheap, but for investors with a long time horizon, U.S. Bancorp makes for a compelling investment.

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John Maxfield owns shares of US Bancorp. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.