Corporate governance

The deal would mark a first step in Chief Executive Jane Fraser’s plan to exit 13 retail markets across the Asia-Pacific region, Europe and the Middle East.

Executives from Alliance Bernstein, Edward Jones and Kasisto discuss best practices and ways to improve the client experience.

The state's department of financial services is asking firms that it supervises to report information about the composition of their boards and senior leadership. It expects to publish aggregate findings in early 2022.

Banco Santander SA said it’s on track to beat a key profitability metric for the year with earnings from the U.S. and U.K. fueling the Spanish lender’s resurgence after historic losses linked to the pandemic.

The company has long focused on customers with ties to the two states. But as it emerges from the pandemic seeking new lending opportunities, CEO Rajinder Singh says, “We are looking at markets from Boston all the way down to Atlanta.”

As an investigation into its relationship with a former District of Columbia city councilman nears its end, the Maryland company has confirmed that Chief Financial Officer Charles Levingston has received a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission signaling a potential enforcement action against him.

United Community Banks in South Carolina and Blue Ridge Bancshares in Virginia have each struck agreements to buy or merge with banks in major metropolitan markets, where they will aim to siphon business from larger rivals.

The bank's noninterest expenses fell by 8% in the second quarter — a sign that CEO Charlie Scharf is making progress in reining in spending that had been soaring in recent years amid heightened regulatory scrutiny. He ultimately hopes to reduce gross expenditures by $8 billion annually.

The global company says that a quicker-than-expected economic recovery is creating some opportunities to invest in businesses that will generate returns over time.

As attitudes about corporate responsibility evolve, regulators will expect banks to take a more proactive approach to environmental, social and governance issues. That means going beyond assessing climate-related risks to incorporate a focus on ethics, culture, inclusion and customer protection.