Growth strategies

A combination of higher organic loan growth and fee-based revenue streams powered top-performing banks in 2021.

State Bankshares in North Dakota was the top performer in the $2 billion to $10 billion asset class in 2021, according to Capital Performance Group. Strong commercial lending, a national mortgage business as well as regional wealth management and insurance units offer diverse sources of growth, a company executive says.

The top 20 banks with assets of $2 billion to $10 billion outshined their peers in loan and revenue growth while maintaining pristine credit quality in 2021, according to a new ranking. Can they do the same this year as recession clouds gather?

Elliott Investment Management is holding discussions with PayPal Holdings over an agreement that would see the activist investor have a hand in determining the future direction of the company, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Banco Santander was eliminated from the bidding process for Citigroup’s Mexican unit, opening the way for a takeover by a local rival.

The New York megabank has a long way to go on its path toward simplification of its business, but some early investments — such as technology upgrades in the treasury unit, which serves commercial customers — are starting to pay small dividends.

The boss of the U.K. digital bank Monzo Bank said he’s targeting growth rather than immediate profit during a turbulent time for the fintech industry, after nearly doubling annual revenue while widening losses.

The Nashville bank has recruited a veteran commercial lender in Asheville who had worked with First Horizon, and it has hired four more bankers in Chattanooga.

It took 100 years, but St. Landry Homestead Federal Savings Bank decided on a drastic name change — to Catalyst Bank — to end confusion with a local rival and signal its loftier aspirations.

A new and larger finance industry is emerging — one in which traditional institutions aren’t nearly as dominant as they used to be.