Wintrust Financial’s (WTFC) Ed Wehmer, one of the most capable, quotable bank CEOs around, captured the industry’s current zeitgeist pretty well on Wintrust’s earnings call today (see call transcript). Two highlights sum up how Ed (and plenty of other bankers, for that matter) are feeling these days:

On managing the bank in the current environment: “like driving a toaster through a car wash.”

On how investors view banks:  “If I announced we found oil under all our branches, people would tell me I have a pollution problem.”

Yep. That just about gets at it. . . .

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Matt Stichnoth

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