Recent predictions of the demise of branch banking can sound like the premature eulogies that have been floated since the advent of the Internet, but data suggests that a fundamental shift may be underway.

Many failed and open banks will be up for grabs across the South, the company says.

Thomas Michaud will succeed him as CEO of the firm, which is best known in the U.S. for advising on bank mergers through its Keefe, Bruyette & Woods brokerage unit.

As they struggle to find new revenue sources, some community banks have latched on to a business line that once was the domain of big banks — mortgage warehouse lending. Community banker said they like the business due to a lower risk profile and because it's a natural fit with past experience in residential real-estate lending.

Reversing its longtime policy of accepting only American Express Co. cards and its own private-label card at its stores, Neiman Marcus Inc. said Thursday it will also start accepting cards backed by Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc.

Aided by a sharp drop in problem loans, Synovus Financial Corp. in Columbus, Ga., reported a third-quarter profit of $15.7 million — its first quarterly profit in more than three years.

HSBC Holdings PLC is in talks to sell its Brazilian consumer finance unit, O Estado de S. Paulo reported Thursday.

Investors say their appetite for the nation's smallest banks has waned due to market uncertainty, leading more to consider bigger community banks.

Ocwen Financial Corp., which this week agreed to buy Morgan Stanley's Saxon Mortgage Services Inc., isn't planning on stopping its shopping spree anytime soon.

Its deal for Connecticut Bank and Trust would would provide an entree into the coveted Hartford market, Berkshire's CEO Daly says.

The acquisition of a failed bank in July gave Wintrust Financial Corp.'s earnings a strong boost in the third quarter.

Flagstar Bancorp Inc. in Troy, Mich., reported a net loss of $14.2 million for the third quarter, a 37% improvement over the same period last year and its smallest quarterly loss since the start of the financial crisis three years ago.

The deal for Anderen would be the largest open-bank transaction in Florida this year, but its price tag, as measure as a multiple of tangible book value, is much lower than those for comparable banks in other states.

The future of regional banks is simple: kill or be killed. The survivors will pose a threat to big banks, a roundtable of experts says in its predictions for banking in the year 2036

Nara Bancorp Inc. announced this week that it intends to raise $55 million in connection with its pending acquisition of Center Financial Corp. — a far cry from the $150 million it initially said it would need to seal the deal.

Fast-growing Berkshire Hills Bancorp Inc. in Pittsfield, Mass., is expanding into Connecticut with a deal to acquire the Connecticut Bank and Trust Co. in Hartford for $30 million in cash and stock.

Wheelers and dealers this week reported a mix of business gains and higher expenses from recent acquisitions. Truth is, it will take a long time to sort out the winners and losers.

TD Retail Card Services said Tuesday it will issue credit cards on behalf of outdoor power equipment manufacturer Cub Cadet.

Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc. (PRA), a Norfolk, Va.-based debt buyer and accounts receivable management company, has been recognized by Forbes as one of America's 100 Best Small Companies.

In a bid to raise fresh capital, ailing Waccamaw Bankshares Inc. in Whiteville, N.C., is selling eight of its branches in North Carolina and three in South Carolina to rival First Bancorp in Troy, N.C.