Corporate governance

The proposed sale of Territorial Bancorp faced competing offers that delayed its closing by several months. But Hope ultimately won shareholder and regulatory approvals.

"I can't just go fishing in the ocean," said Grasshopper Bank CEO Michael Butler, referring to his bank's ability to gather deposits. "JPMorgan Chase is out there with a yacht, and I'm driving a small speedboat."

Small lenders across the country, including Forte Bank in Wisconsin, promoted and recruited chief executives in recent weeks.

The bank now offers personal loans up to $50,000 to State Farm customers, the latest step in its effort to broaden its customer base by teaming up with other companies.

Royal Bank of Canada executives said they plan to start originating more mortgages in the United States, and they indicated that they may ditch the City National Bank brand.

The Connecticut bank disclosed that Nasdaq waived a shareholder approval requirement so it could urgently raise more than $50 million. Patriot also said its finance chief would step down.

The Mississippi lender said regulators have signed off sooner than expected on its $103.6 million acquisition of First Chatham Bank. The bank's CEO and deal advisers said the speedy approval bodes well for future M&A.

Georges Elhedery aims to double down on HSBC's investment-banking operations in Asia and the Middle East after exiting key businesses in the U.S. and Europe.

The number of shareholder proposals appearing in banks' proxy statements is down significantly this year, due to Trump-era regulatory changes and new concerns about political blowback.

The Connecticut bank said its newly minted president, Steven Sugarman, successfully led a private placement and signed a long-term employment agreement that makes him a potential CEO. David Lowery, current chief executive of Patriot, plans to step down in April.