PNC Financial Services (PNC)

fund industries, including Allegiant, Global Investment Servicing and other industry participants. The SEC has proposed various rules, and legislation has been introduced in Congress, intended to reform the regulation of these industries. The effect of regulatory reform has, and is likely to continue to, increase the extent of regulation of the mutual fund and hedge fund industries and impose additional compliance obligations and costs on our subsidiaries involved with those industries.

Under provisions of the federal securities laws applicable to broker-dealers, investment advisers and registered investment companies and their service providers, a determination by a court or regulatory agency that certain violations have occurred at a company or its affiliates can result in fines, restitution, a limitation of permitted activities, disqualification to continue to conduct certain activities and an inability to rely on certain favorable exemptions. Certain types of infractions and violations can also affect a public company in its timing and ability to expeditiously issue new securities into the capital markets. In addition, expansion of activities of a broker-dealer generally requires approval of FINRA and regulators may take into account a variety of considerations in acting upon such applications, including internal controls, capital, management experience and quality, prior enforcement and disciplinary history and supervisory concerns.

Global Investment Servicing and BlackRock are also subject to regulation by appropriate authorities in the foreign jurisdictions in which they do business.

BlackRock has subsidiaries in securities and related businesses subject to SEC and FINRA regulation, as described above. For additional information about the regulation of BlackRock, we refer you to the discussion under the “Regulation” section of Item 1 Business in BlackRock’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which may be obtained electronically at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

regulatory organizations, or changes in the interpretation or enforcement of existing laws and rules may directly affect the method of operation and profitability of investment advisers. The profitability of investment advisers could also be affected by rules and regulations that impact the business and financial communities in general, including changes to the laws governing taxation, antitrust regulation and electronic commerce.

Recently, the SEC and other governmental agencies have been investigating the mutual fund industry, including its service providers. The SEC has adopted and proposed various rules, and legislation has been introduced in Congress, intended to reform the regulation of this industry. The effect of regulatory reform has, and is likely to continue to, increase the extent of regulation of the mutual fund industry and impose additional compliance obligations and costs on our subsidiaries involved with that industry.

Under various provisions of the federal securities laws (including in particular those applicable to broker-dealers, investment advisers and registered investment companies and their service providers), a determination by a court or regulatory agency that certain violations have occurred at a company or its affiliates can result in fines, a limitation of permitted activities, disqualification to continue to conduct certain activities and an inability to rely on certain favorable exemptions. Certain types of infractions and violations can also affect a public company in its timing and ability to expeditiously issue new securities into the capital markets. In addition, expansion of activities of a broker-dealer generally requires approval of the New York Stock Exchange and/or NASD, and regulators may take into account a variety of considerations in acting upon such applications, including internal controls, capital, management experience and quality, and supervisory concerns.

BlackRock has subsidiaries in securities and related businesses subject to SEC and NASD regulation, as described above. For additional information about the regulation of BlackRock, we refer you to the discussion under the “Regulation” section of Item 1 Business in BlackRock’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, which may be obtained electronically at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

COMPETITION We are subject to intense competition from various financial institutions and from non-bank entities that engage in similar activities without being subject to bank regulatory supervision and restrictions.

In making loans, our subsidiary banks compete with traditional banking institutions as well as consumer finance companies, leasing companies and other non-bank lenders, and institutional investors including CLO managers, hedge funds, mutual fund complexes and private equity firms. Loan pricing, structure and credit standards are under competitive pressure as lenders seek to deploy capital and a broader range

of borrowers have access to capital markets. Traditional deposit activities are subject to pricing pressures and customer migration as a result of intense competition for consumer investment dollars.

Our subsidiary banks compete for deposits with the following:

Our various non-bank businesses engaged in investment banking and private equity activities compete with the following:

In providing asset management services, our businesses compete with the following:

The fund servicing business is also highly competitive, with a relatively small number of providers. Merger, acquisition and consolidation activity in the financial services industry has also impacted the number of existing or potential fund servicing clients and has intensified competition.

We include here by reference the additional information regarding competition included in the Item 1A Risk Factors section of this Report.