Jon Prior

Nearly one in four bankers said that the tech giants pose the biggest competitive threat in the long term. But are those fears warranted?

The once-acquisitive company appears ready to come off the sidelines, but will it be as a buyer or seller?

So far farm loans are holding up well, but bankers gathered at an industry conference this week said they are growing increasingly concerned that credit quality will weaken if the U.S. and China don’t reach a deal soon.

Ralph Babb had stepped down as CEO in April. Curtis Farmer, who succeeded him as chief executive, will assume the chairman's title starting next year.

Bank and other lenders are said to have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into financing private-equity firms and their investment deals in recent years. Defaults have been low, but an economic slowdown could put these relationships to the test.

The company has recruited bankers from Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank and smaller firms to expand its corporate banking team that serves financial technology clients.

The Los Angeles bank is taking its wealth management and entertainment financing businesses to Miami and Long Island as part of its effort to expand nationally.

Midsize players like BankUnited, BOK and Fulton Financial plan to rely on selective M&A, catering to niches overlooked by big banks, aggressive recruitment of commercial lenders and other strategies to stimulate revenue growth.

The Columbus, Ga., company had been counting on increased volume to offset a squeeze in net interest margins.

The Ohio company, scheduled to report third-quarter results Thursday, blamed the decision on the squeeze interest rates are putting on revenue.

The nation's largest bank is hiring former prisoners for entry-level jobs and funding a policy center whose mission will be to help adults with criminal histories reenter the workforce.

Count Citizens Financial’s Bruce Van Saun among those who think interest rate cuts could halt by mid-2020. The key, he says, is to focus on delivering services customers are willing to pay fees for and to skillfully reprice deposits until then.

Commercial lending provided a boost for some regional banks in the third quarter, but further rate cuts and a slowing economy could challenge future growth.

The Pittsburgh company’s “branch lite” approach to retail and middle-market banking in new markets will break even sooner than expected and has had a noticeable impact on loans and deposits.

CEO Michael Corbat said he “wouldn’t rule out” building branches to keep the momentum going.

Two new surveys have found that most consumers would prefer to stash their cash in traditional banks. But there's one group of savers who would be very comfortable opening accounts with tech giants if given the opportunity.

The Minneapolis bank said it will provide $8.2 million in grants to nonprofits that arm potential workers with cutting-edge skills and promote small-business growth. Banks say the investments will help them and their commercial customers close the skills gap.

The rise in prices caused by the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil installations should help banks recoup some losses from the 2016 downturn. Harder to gauge is the impact the price volatility will have on U.S. energy production and, in turn, loan demand.

Muneera Carr, Comerica's CFO since 2017, will leave in October and James Herzog, who had been the bank's treasurer, will serve as interim CFO until a successor is named.

Native American tribal leaders are hoping foreign banks might step in to provide added assistance if regulators act on a plan leaders have put forward to designate Indian country as its own area under the Community Reinvestment Act.