Jim Dobbs

Community bank earnings are usually easy to understand, but loan deferrals and modifications as well as the complexities of the Paycheck Protection Program are skewing financial statements.

The New York companies plan to move ahead with their proposed deal despite challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Lexicon Bank in Las Vegas, whose chairman was a professional gambler, is actively courting poker players to open deposit accounts for their tournament winnings.

The Nashville bank had sued Gaylon Lawrence in 2017 over allegations that he was pursuing an illegal takeover, but the two sides announced terms of a settlement.

With the coronavirus pandemic intensifying and hopes for a quick economic recovery fading, banks large and small are reducing headcounts, shuttering branches, shedding office space and generally trying to trim expenses wherever they can.

The Georgia company warned that outstanding loans could fall and deferrals will likely rise as its home state and Florida grapple with the pandemic.

Government stimulus efforts, including the Paycheck Protection Program, have fueled a deposit surge. The challenge for banks is figuring out how to put that new money to use.

Bank of America was the latest large bank to report a second-quarter drop in the key earnings metric after a March surge in credit line utilizations gave way to rapid payoffs in May and June.

Net charge-offs fell at Citigroup and Wells Fargo, thanks to forbearance and federal stimulus. Leaders of those banks are warning that delinquencies could rise once the benefits of those programs wear off.

Bankers had asserted in April that they could handle a slump in oil prices tied to the coronavirus pandemic. Continued volatility, combined with declining collateral values and a rise in bankruptcies for exploration companies, is denting their confidence.

The Connecticut company recruited Robert Russell from Millington Bank to become its president and CEO.

Several big bank mergers fell apart after the coronavirus hit. But Bryan Jordan, First Horizon's CEO, said the pandemic validated plans to cut costs and invest more in digital upgrades.

Neil Dauby, the Indiana company's chief commercial banking officer, will have oversight of all operations, reporting directly to Chairman and CEO Mark Schroeder.

The Paycheck Protection Program propped up many banks' balance sheets in the first half of the year, but what will drive loan demand in the second half?

Bank consolidation has been stagnant since the pandemic hit, and the outlook for the rest of the year is bleak.

Deferral periods on scores of commercial loans will soon be ending, and many banks’ profits this year could turn on whether borrowers can resume making payments or will seek extensions.

⁠John Corbett says building scale, lowering costs and strengthening technology offerings have become more critical for banks to stay competitive.

A record amount of funds have flowed into banks since the coronavirus hit, but a low-rate environment and tepid loan demand are complicating efforts to put that money to work.

The Maryland company said the additions, including a former bank CEO, will strengthen its “overall operational and strategic management."

As revenue-starved retailers fall further behind on rent payments, landlords' cash flow will be strained, and defaults on commercial real estate loans could rise.