Robert Barba is the technology editor of American Banker. Robert previously served as deputy editor of American Banker's dealmaking and strategy section. He joined American Banker in late 2007 as a community banking reporter, just in time for the financial crisis. Robert played a lead role in covering community banks' struggle for survival in the years following the downturn. Robert has appeared on Fox Business to discuss bank failures and the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program. Prior to joining American Banker, Robert was a general business reporter at Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in Stuart, Fla. He began his career as a business desk intern at The Denver Post and Boulder Daily Camera. Robert is based in New York.
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In a particularly anemic year so far for bank mergers and acquisitions, the third-largest city in the country has been noticeably absent from the short list.
June 15 -
Citizens Republic Bancorp Inc. in Flint, Mich., is planning a reverse stock split that may help it avoid a delisting.
June 14 -
Hampton Roads Bankshares Inc. in Norfolk, Va., is looking to sell 10 branches and its mortgage and insurance businesses.
June 14 -
Stearns has taken a scattershot approach to failed-bank deals that many observers believe to be a mere revenue play, not a franchise builder. But in Florida, it's ready to expand further.
June 13 -
It's unclear whether "Sharia ban" state laws would affect the growth of Islamic finance. But at the very least, the political climate is certainly not fostering a welcoming environment.
June 9 -
City National Corp. of Los Angeles is expanding to Nashville, Tenn., to expand its entertainment division.
June 8 -
Data on bank branch deals announced so far this year shows a median deposit premium of 4%, an improvement of more than 60 basis points from the levels of the last two years.
June 6 -
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions closed First Heritage Bank on Friday, and for a second straight week Columbia Banking System submitted a winning bid.
May 27 -
The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions closed First Heritage Bank in Snohomish on Friday, and for a second straight week Columbia Banking System submitted a winning bid.
May 27 -
Investors have recapitalized several banks, most notably those in the western U.S., in recent months with the intention of salvaging their franchises and creating vehicles that can be used to buy other banks.
May 27 -
Capitol Bancorp has struck a deal to sell yet another one of its bank units. AmericanWest Bank in Spokane, Wash., will buy Bank of the Northwest for $17 million in cash.
May 26 -
In its deal for Hartford's Florida bank unit, CenterState was inventive in finding a way to grow on the cheap without having to worry about all the strings that come with failed-bank deals.
May 25 -
In the last year, Michael Brown Sr. raised nearly $330 million, bought a small Florida bank, converted it to a thrift, struck a deal for a weaker competitor, bought a branch from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. — and turned 70 years old. The chairman and chief executive officer of HCBF Holding Co. in Palm City says he's just getting started.
May 19 -
Bond Street Holdings Inc., the most active acquirer of failed banks in Florida, is looking to raise more money to buy even more banks.
May 17 -
The embattled Capitol Bancorp Ltd. eked out a small profit in the first quarter, thanks largely to a $16.9 million gain on the conversion of trust-preferred securities to common equity.
May 17 -
Premier Financial Bancorp of Huntington, W.Va., has received regulatory approval to resume dividend payments on its investment from the Treasury Department.
May 16 -
The midtier bank seemed destined for the endangered species list after the meltdown, but a fresh crop of small-bank survivors are eager to fill the void.
May 13 -
The FDIC may soon have another option for resolving failed banks whose assets include farm loans. Traditional banks are not welcoming the expected change.
May 10 -
Integra Bank Corp. in Evansville, Ind., said that another large loss in the first quarter has left its bank critically undercapitalized.
May 9 -
First PacTrust Bancorp Inc. in Chula Vista, Calif., has hired Marangal Domingo to serve as its chief financial officer.
May 9
