Paul Davis

SunTrust can rebound, but many wonder whether it will do so in time to overcome stiffening competition in the Southeast — or before a suitor arrives.

U.S. Bancorp as friend to nature and art; a chief credit officer of Wells Fargo heads to Zions; Woman of the Year one of our own Most Powerful Women in Banking; and more.

BB&T Corp. is disputing a statement by an administrative law judge that the company "aided" a fraud scheme at a North Carolina mountain development.

Synovus Financial Corp. said it should reap a $70 million profit from selling its merchant services business to Merchant e-Solutions Inc.

A number of banking companies are getting tough on compensation, and even greater changes are expected.

A number of banking companies are getting tough on compensation, and even greater changes are expected.

"Indefatigable" Citi vice chairman William Rhodes retiring at the end of April; An alumnus of Chicago politics chosen to succeed the retiring head of community affairs at Harris Bancorp; and more.

Alvaro G. de Molina had a front-row seat for the financial crisis as the chief executive of GMAC Inc. from March 2008 to last November. The longtime Bank of America Corp. executive — he rose to chief financial officer there — oversaw GMAC's launch of Ally Bank, which drew the ire of traditional banks and ran afoul of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for aggressive deposit pricing.

Royal Bank of Scotland is looking to expand in numerous U.S. markets, but plans to do so in its trademark cautious way, a top retail executive at the company said.

The KBW Bank Index was higher at midday on solid domestic news when the markets were spooked by a report that a South Korean naval ship had sunk near the border with North Korea.

Ken Feinberg announces a review of executive compensation; A Capital One executive has a website that offers notes on, among other things, ethics; and more.

BBVA Compass, the U.S. unit of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA in Madrid, discovered an eager work force at the Texas bank, but an otherwise blank canvas for consumer products and small-business lending, since the bank had focused primarily on mortgage purchases.

Senior managers at Morgan Keegan & Co. argue that their restructuring moves last week are a break with the past — and a sign that the securities unit still has a future with its parent company, Regions Financial Corp.

N.C.'s Ken Lewis, not the former B of A CEO, is running for Senate; BB&T's defamation lawsuit against a computer training school; and more.

Regions Financial Corp. said Wednesday that it would combine two divisions within Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. to create a new investment banking division.

The trend of shrinking loan books has reached those in charge of them. Last year, loans to insiders at the nation's biggest banks fell 31% from a year earlier, to $5.48 billion, according to call report data compiled by SNL Financial.

Piedmont CEO Custer makes a good cup o' joe; Zions CFO Arnold courts investors; SunTrust chief Wells channels his inner Chaucer; Wells CEO Stumpf following Kovacevich again?

Jim Westlake, as a Royal Bank of Canada executive and the head of its U.S. unit, has an interesting vantage point from which to assess the U.S. and Canadian banking systems. Speaking at a North Carolina Bankers Association conference in Greensboro this week, Westlake outlined how regulation and risk management practices helped Canadian banks weather the storm.

Politicians are still clamoring for more loans to create jobs, shareholders are demanding growth and some bankers are noting improved credit-quality trends.

William Rogers, the $174.1 billion-asset Atlanta company's president, said during a conference held by Raymond James & Associates that loans had declined this year through Feb. 28, albeit at a "slower pace" than in the fourth quarter.