Discover Financial Services

New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a state court for permission to issue subpoenas to Capital One as part of an ongoing antitrust probe by the state,

During Thursday's earnings call, Chief Financial Officer John Greene told analysts that "everyday living expenses" are a challenge.

Community and advocacy groups opposed Capital One's proposed acquisition of Discover in a hearing held by federal regulators on Friday.

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 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.

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.