BANKING

Growth Projected for Banks: Although some see signs of loan demand slowing, several bankers said at the International Monetary Conference in Seattle said the nation’s banks should experience solid growth in commercial and consumer loans for the rest of the year. Top executives of NationsBank, Wachovia Corp., Bank of New York and KeyCorp all expressed optimism about lending this year, although they also said a sharp economic slowdown would hurt demand. Hugh McColl, chairman of NationsBank Corp., the country’s fourth-largest, saw his bank’s loan growth staying at double-digit levels this year, especially in consumer loans.