Capital One

The credit card company sold its student loan business, which long drew the ire of regulators. It also set aside substantial funds to cover looming regulatory penalties.

The credit card giant says its proposed acquisition of Discover would facilitate a bevy of community development activity and philanthropy. But some public advocacy groups are skeptical.

The bank is working with Adyen and Stripe to improve the transaction information that feeds AI-powered payments crime fighting. Can it convince other firms to join?

The lawsuit settlement clears a hurdle for the credit card company's deal with Capital One, which has vowed to address Discover's compliance shortcomings. A public hearing on the merger is scheduled for July 19.

The retail giant has scrapped its credit card partnership with Capital One, its second public spat in recent years with a partner bank. Analysts say it may be a sign that Walmart wants to launch its own credit card on what it hopes will be a financial super-app.

If Capital One successfully buys Discover Financial Services, it would create an entity with an enormous amount of power. That could lead to abuses of vulnerable consumers.

The decision will turn on whether regulators think the merged company would lessen competition or pose a significant threat to the broader economy if it runs into financial distress.

Capital One, like Discover, is showing signs of greater stress in its loan portfolio. Credit-card write-offs totaled $2.2 billion in the first quarter, a 61% increase from a year earlier.

New details have emerged about the negotiations that culminated in Capital One's blockbuster $35 billion agreement to acquire Discover. At one point last December, the two parties broke off discussions, according to a securities filing.

Banking regulators and the Department of Justice must decide whether the blockbuster deal raises antitrust concerns. Looming over their analyses are questions about how broadly or narrowly to define the relevant markets.