(Reuters) – Several U.S. banks reported a plunge in fourth-quarter profits on Thursday, hurt by a drop in interest income and charges tied to replenishing a deposit insurance fund. Higher payouts on deposits to retain customers from chasing high-yielding alternatives have resulted in an industry-wide contraction in net interest margins for the banks that had until recently benefited from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s rate hikes. Potential Fed rate cuts this year will likely further dent margins this year, some banks have warned. Meanwhile, most U.S. banks are also paying regulator Federal Deposit…