Florida

A week after revealing that a $23 million loss in the first quarter had dropped its equity below zero, BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said late Monday that it is pursuing a stock offering in hopes of raising $30 million in fresh capital.

Several frequent buyers of failed banks struck new deals with regulators on Friday for another batch of collapsed institutions. In total, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took five banks into receivership, with a total of $2.16 billion in assets.

First National Bank of the Gulf Coast in Naples on Friday sold the first $40 million of common stock under a planned $148 million private placement.

The Federal Reserve and state regulators in New York and Florida last week issued a cease-and-desist order against Banco Industrial de Venezuela.

First National Bank of the Gulf Coast in Naples, Fla., said it is raising $148 million in capital through a private placement.

Many of these young banks are treading water, at best, waiting for the elusive rebound while coping with higher compliance costs.

The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced enforcement actions against two banks.

Skeptics have often viewed banks with in-store branches as unconventional. Still, several community banks have tested the strategy and concluded it has untapped potential.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said in its annual report that mounting legal problems could have an adverse effect on its financial results.

When two tiny banks merge to form a slightly less tiny bank, which institution really reaps the efficiencies: the merged entity — or a larger acquirer down the road?

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Thursday that it fined Pacific National Bank in Miami $7 million for violating anti-money-laundering rules.

Stonegate Bank in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has completed its acquisition of Southwest Capital Bank of Fort Myers, Fla.

Another banking company is moving forward with raising capital: 1st United Bancorp Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., announced plans to sell $32.5 million of common stock.

TIB Financial Corp. in Naples, Fla., said late Tuesday that it returned to profitability after its new owner, North American Financial Holdings, restructured its balance sheet.

Once an aspiring acquirer, Florida Bank Group Inc. in Tampa is now under a Federal Reserve enforcement action.

BankAtlantic Bancorp must raise more capital, limit the growth of its brokered deposits and make other improvements under an agreement with the Office of Thrift Supervision.

With plans to sell its trust division, Bank of Florida Corp. is nearing dissolution.

Reality is setting in that the state that was among the first to crash during the real estate crisis is likely to be the last to escape.

CBM Florida Holding Co. in Lakewood Ranch said in a press release Friday that its Community Bank & Co. had agreed to buy the $505 million-asset First Community Bank of America in Pinellas Park, Fla.

Four failed-bank deals announced Friday evening marked another successful night for private equity.