NEW YORK, April 10 Reuters Most Wall Street banks are likely to report lower quarterly earnings and face a dour outlook for the rest of the year, with last month39;s regional banking crisis and a slowing economy expected to hurt profitability.

Earnings per share for the six biggest U.S. banks are expected to be down about 10 from a year earlier, analyst estimates from Refinitiv IBES show. Banks start reporting results on April 14.

Access to cheap deposits, which swelled for bigger banks as savers fled smaller lenders in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank39;s collapse last month, likely boosted net interest income for the largest banks, analysts said.

JPMorgan Chase Co, the largest U.S. bank, is likely to come out ahead of the pack as its net interest margin interest earned on loans versus interest paid to depositors was higher than some of its peers, analysts said.

The bank is expected to report a 30 rise in EPS, buoyed by an almost 36 increase in net interest income, according the Refinitiv IBES estimates and Reuters calculations.

However, tighter financial conditions and a slowing economy mean banks face the prospect of tepid loan growth and souring credit, forcing them to add to provisions against potential losses.

We expect a challenging earnings season for the banks, said David Chiaverini, banking analyst at Wedbush Securities, in a note.

He said bank managements will become more defensive, implementing liquidity measures that could lead to downward…