Investors Bancorp (ISBC) in Short Hills, N.J., has added to its board a longtime New York banker with deep roots in Brooklyn.

SBT Bancorp (SBTB) in Simsbury, Conn., has hired David MacKenzie as its chief mortgage and consumer lending officer.

Multiples are stronger in historical terms than many bankers assume, buyers' stock prices are going up and banks need to get to $25 billion of assets to thrive, says David Olson of River Branch Holdings.

SunTrust still wants to lower its efficiency ratio to 60%, but a mortgage slowdown and legal costs tied to alleged lending violations is making that goal harder to achieve.

Northeastern banks First Niagara and People's United are reluctantly cutting rates to book more loans and, in some instances, turning business away.

F.N.B. Corp. (FNB) in Hermitage, Pa., beat earnings estimates on strong net interest income.

In an advisory, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. urged banks to be mindful of gaps in liability coverage for director and officer lawsuits – the same lawsuits the FDIC is filing against failed-bank managers.

The New York firm has historically avoided investing in acquisition-minded banks, preferring low-key institutions with good leaders and plans for making solid loans.

Silicon Valley Bank is sponsoring workshops on both coasts to teach computer programming skills to middle school and high school students.

First Horizon National (FHN) in Memphis swung to a big loss in the third quarter after reaching an agreement to repurchase soured loans from Fannie Mae, it announced Friday.

The holding companies of Park Cities Bank in Dallas, Tex., have filed for bankruptcy in order to facilitate the recapitalization and purchase of the bank by Park Cities Financial Group.

Banks of all sizes are looking to ramp up wealth management operations as other businesses sputter. Along with the promise of high fee income come high risks-including the regulatory and reputational varieties. American Banker editors discuss.

Aided by strong loan growth and improved credit quality, Simmons First (SFNC) in Pine Bluff, Ark., said that its third-quarter profit climbed 12% from the same period last year, to $7.4 million. Earnings per share climbed 13%, to 45 cents, beating the estimates of analysts polled by Bloomberg by 4 cents.

First Niagara Financial (FNFG) in Buffalo, N.Y., surpassed Wall Street's expectations for the third quarter as loan growth compensated for sliding mortgage banking fees.

As the Fed contemplates ending QE3, banks will need to look beyond government debt and mortgage-backed securities to generate returns.

Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President Jeffrey Lacker said bankruptcy without government support is "the first and most preferable option" in the event of a failure by a big financial institution.

Chemung Financial (CHMG) in Elmira, N.Y., has named Karl Krebs as its new chief financial officer.

Some regional banks reported strong loan growth in the third quarter and are upbeat about the fourth. Others had a weak summer and expect this quarter to be the same. All claim their lending practices are sound and that rivals are taking risks. It doesn't add up.

PrivateBancorp (PVTB) in Chicago posted stronger earnings because of cost-cutting.

Huntington Bancshares’s efforts are paying off. It finally reached a 2013 goal of achieving positive operating leverage by cutting jobs, closing branches and reducing marketing and legal expenses.