Jim Dobbs

The company, which expressed concerns about the validity of some of the loans it bought, renegotiated a lower price and protections from the seller involved in the deal.

Commercial real estate loans are vulnerable as financial assistance for tenants winds down and might not be fully renewed. Late rent payments could rise, leading lenders to press landlords to pay up.

The company also found a buyer for its portfolio of equipment finance loans as it tries to clean up credit and refocus on middle-market lending.

Deal activity, already on pace for its slowest year in more than two decades, will likely remain suppressed until bankers get a handle on credit exposure and more clarity on valuations.

More consumer and commercial borrowers are paying their loans, increasing the likelihood that charge-offs will be manageable for banks despite the ongoing pandemic.

The bank said the move will provide more flexibility raising capital and more options when it comes to pursuing bank acquisitions.

Driver Management, a bank investor, alleges that First United in Maryland made false claims and improperly lobbied lawmakers to keep its nominees off the board. The bank asserts that it acted properly in response to an attempted hostile takeover.

Bartow Morgan Jr., who ran Brand Banking when it was sold to Renasant, also plans to raise $150 million to expand the seller's products and services.

Several community banks that put buybacks on hold during the pandemic’s earliest days have recently authorized new plans, signaling an easing in regulatory pressure and greater comfort with capital levels.

Piedmont Federal Savings is working with historically Black colleges and universities to hire and train prospective commercial lenders and managers who better reflect the community it serves.