Texas

Many energy lenders are paring back exposure to the energy sector, creating opportunities for banks like First Horizon and Bank of the Ozarks.

Lending margins are once again contracting thanks to a confluence of factors, and bankers are doing everything from shifting cash into higher-risk securities to reconfiguring branches to pad profits.

Count BBVA Compass as another bank that has suffered this year from bad energy loans.

The $1.8 billion-asset Sunflower expects to combine with the $2.2 billion-asset Strategic Growth to create a company with $3 billion in loans and 60 branches in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Texas.

Some midsize banks found ways to widen margins, and Texas lenders said weakness in the energy sector has had little effect on the broader Texas economy. But can those trends hold up?

The energy sector downturn led to lower second-quarter profit at Prosperity Bancshares in Houston, which continued to shrink the size of its book of oil and gas loans in response.

Cullen/Frost Bankers' second-quarter profit declined slightly compared with a year earlier as gains in net interest income were largely offset by increased chargeoffs and a higher provision for loan losses.

LegacyTexas Financial Group in Plano has met its original purpose of becoming a big player in its home market.

The recent rise in oil prices and a surge in loan demand helped Texas Capital Bancshares in Dallas bounce back in the second quarter.

Panic around energy lending has subsided somewhat as oil prices have climbed and banks have reduced their overall exposure. But expect more trouble ahead if prices level off.

Comerica reported improvement in its energy-loan portfolio in the second quarter but charges related to a broad corporate restructuring took a bite out of overall profits.

Santander Consumer Holdings in Dallas on Tuesday appointed William Rainer chairman, and it announced that Blythe Masters has resigned to advise Banco Santander — its Spanish parent company — on the blockchain.

After years of bulking up on shared national credits, a number of regional banks are cutting back because of the heartburn from problem oil and gas loans. A few lenders are refusing to budge, but many will have no choice if they want to dilute the energy risk on their books.

Amegy Bank of Texas in Houston has promoted Laif Afseth from executive director of commercial and industrial lending to president of the company.

The $3 billion-asset First United did not disclose how much it will pay for the $2.3 billion-asset American Bank. The deal is expected to close later this year.

FVCBankcorp in Fairfax, Va., and Independent Bank Group in McKinney, Texas, are raising capital through private and public offerings of subordinated notes.

The rise in oil prices in recent months is welcome news for the energy sector, but it doesn't mean that oil and gas firms — and the banks that lend to them — are out of the woods just yet.

Comerica in Dallas said Tuesday that the head of its business bank is stepping down. J. Patrick Faubion will retire from the bank in January, after serving in his current role for less than a year.

Delinquencies on non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans ticked up in the first quarter after years of steady declines. Some are shrugging off the increase, saying it was expected given the strong demand for CRE loans, but others say there's good reason to be concerned.

Most banks will be content to let the rate chasers walk if CD rates rise, but they'll still need to hike payouts if they hope to keep pace with the competitors. Question is, how far will they go to retain their best customers?