Cap Markets

American Banker predicted these five bankers would make news. Several delivered, mostly with small, strategic deals and finding ways to make money in spite of challenging conditions.

Add Investar Holding in Baton Rouge, La., to the growing list of community banks filing shelf registrations.

Sussex Bancorp in Rockaway, N.J., has raised $15 million by selling fixed- to floating-rate subordinated notes to an institutional investor. It did not name the investor.

Regulators have warned about the dangers of high commercial real estate concentrations despite bankers' assertions that they are managing risk better than they did before the financial crisis. Still, CRE concerns could influence M&A and loan diversification in 2017.

Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has raised $35.4 million in a common stock offering and plans to use the proceeds to pay down a line of credit and support growth.

Prosperity Bancshares in Houston filed a shelf registration to sell a variety of shares.

Peapack-Gladstone Financial in Bedminster, N.J., has filed a shelf registration statement to sell as much as $100 million in securities.

City Holding in Charleston, W.Va., is looking to raise up to $55 million in a stock offering.

Ameris Bancorp in Georgia wanted to buy a premium-finance business but settled for a joint venture, blessed by its regulators, after being flagged for insufficient Bank Secrecy Act compliance.

The banking system ultimately needs a balanced approach to capital, which allows banks to efficiently function while also maintaining financial stability.