Jackie Stewart is the executive editor of American Banker Magazine. Previously, she covered breaking news, community banks and mergers and acquisitions for American Banker before being named as the managing editor of the Credit Union Journal. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2006, Jackie taught for two years in the Bronx, N.Y., through Teach for America.
Competitive pricing and softening demand at the high end of the apartment- and condo-building market had executives at BankUnited, Signature and New York Community answering tough questions about their growth projections and diversification strategies.
Recent steps by New York Community Bancorp to lower its borrowing costs paid off last quarter in higher net interest income and profits.
Several small and midsize banks generated large year-over-year loan growth despite a belief by some outsiders that a slowdown was looming. Bankers may have to spend coming months assuring investors that they can keep booking loans while adequately managing risk.
Synovus Financial in Columbus, Ga., reported lower quarterly earnings as salaries and personnel expenses increased.
The banking industry, in the face of prolonged challenges, is relying on professional help to improve in areas such as productivity, hiring and M&A. The hope is that being introspective now will limit the amount of costly mistakes in the future.
BofI Holding is looking to make more acquisitions and its leader says he doesnt think accusations from a former employee are unlikely to hold up a deal, even though theyve dragged down the stock price.
First Interstate BancSystem in Billings, Mont., announced its third deal in two years as it inched closer to $10 billion of assets.
The management team at Western Alliance Bancorp. has decades of experience with hotel development. The company's pending purchase of a large loan book and expansion into national hotel lending will be scrutinized in coming years.
Roughly 90 banks that participated in the government's lending program still owe money to the Treasury Department and face a massive dividend increase. Many of those could view selling as a better alternative to raising new capital.
Shareholders of KeyCorp in Cleveland and First Niagara Financial Group in Buffalo, N.Y., have approved Keys planned purchase of First Niagara.
A dozen banks from Arkansas to Virginia are nearing $10 billion in assets, where they will face higher compliance costs and caps on interchange fees. Mergers among those institutions could create a new class of regional bank.
About a fifth of regional banks look at their efficiency ratios as they set executive compensation. Ongoing revenue challenges and investor pressure could push more boards to consider efficiency or simple cost-cutting to determine pay for high-level officers.
The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions closed the $67.1 million-asset North Milwaukee State Bank on Friday.
The Hall of Fame manager, who won three World Series, told bankers at a recent conference that trust, integrity and communication are critical to success. La Russa also shared tales from his storied career, including accounts of managing the likes of Rickey Henderson and Chris Carpenter.
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump received support from 83% of attendees polled at the Independent Community Bankers of America's annual convention. The results were more pronounced compared with a similar poll by the Consumer Bankers Association, where Hillary Clinton edged out Trump.
Regulators want to know how banks are planning for the future, particularly in the face of competitive threats such as marketplace lending and added scrutiny over the use of third-party vendors.
Changes to mortgage disclosures rules implemented in October continue to frustrate community bankers and is just another example of the struggle to stay independent.
Rebeca Romero Rainey, incoming chairman of the ICBA, would like to see the financial services industry add new banks and younger bankers in coming years.
Mergers of equals are hard to complete due to cultural issues, but a spike in consolidation paired with weary leaders and a lack of young talent could make such combinations more appealing.
Texas has had a fair share of M&A since the financial crisis, but deal volume has declined since oil prices began to plummet in late 2014. Uncertainty over sellers' exposure and depressed stock prices for aspiring buyers are largely to blame.