Tennessee

The commercial-and-industrial loan space is overheated, higher rates could stifle mortgage refinancings, and subprime auto delinquencies are on the rise. Bankers could be fighting these fires and more in the new year.

A former director at Pinnacle Financial Partners who pleaded guilty to insider trading agreed to pay a heftier fine after a judge rejected the initial penalty as being too low.

SmartFinancial in Knoxville, Tenn., has agreed to buy a branch in Tennessee from a division of Atlantic Capital Bank in Atlanta.

First Bancshares in Hattiesburg, Miss., has exited the Troubled Asset Relief Program, thanks partly to an assist from another bank.

The Music City is booming because of entertainment and health care. Still, banks are monitoring growth in areas such as real estate development for signs of stress.

James Cope, a former Pinnacle Financial Partners director who pleaded guilty to insider trading in October, was supposed to pay a $55,000 fine as part of a plea deal. But the judge hearing the case contends he should pay more.

First Tennessee Bank in Memphis is giving veteran regional leader Pam Fansler an unusual retirement present: a chairmanship.

Pinnacle Financial in Nashville, Tenn., has sold $120 million in subordinated notes and will use the proceeds to retire existing debt and bolster its capital levels.

Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark., has agreed to buy the parent of First South Bank in Jackson, Tenn.

Franklin Financial Network in Franklin, Tenn., has filed plans to raise up to $62 million in a common stock offering.

Regulators have pressed banks to watch out for rising concentrations of commercial real estate loans. Some banks have paid heed, but others are skyrocketing past recommended thresholds.

James Cope entered into an agreement with the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee to plead guilty to one count of insider trading; he will serve a two-year probationary sentence.

First Tennessee Bank in Memphis has recruited a quartet of executives for its expanding specialty banking lines that serve the franchising, healthcare, music, and transportation industries.

Strong revenue growth powered First Horizon in Memphis to a 7% increase in third-quarter earnings.

First Tennessee Bank in Memphis said Tuesday that has promoted three executives in its Middle Atlantic region.

First Tennessee Bank in Memphis announced Wednesday that it will commit $1 million to Operation Hope’s new HOPE Fund to offer free financial literacy education in low-income communities.

CapStar Financial Holdings in Nashville, Tenn., expects to raise net proceeds of $16.6 million in an initial public offering that it plans to spend on growth and other initiatives — perhaps including M&A.

HomeTrust Bancshares in Asheville, N.C., is beefing up in Tennessee with a deal to acquire TriSummit Bancorp in Kingsport.

Years of branch closures and job cuts are paying off for banks in the form of much-improved efficiency ratios. But with low interest rates still crimping profits, banks remain under pressure to continue reducing expenses.

CapStar Financial Holdings in Nashville, Tenn., whose board includes a top Credit Suisse executive, has filed plans to raise up to $46 million in an initial public offering.