U.S. bank earnings likely got a lift from mortgage lending in the first quarter, as lower rates spurred a surge in applications to refinance home loans, one of several glimmers of hope for a sector that has lately struggled with weak growth. Most are expected to post relatively big profit increases excluding one-time items, according to average analyst forecasts from Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S after a year-ago period when results were depressed by weak mortgage and trading revenues.