Americas

Eagle Bancorp in Maryland took a major quarterly loss due to challenges in its office loan portfolio. It's one of many banks working to trim down their commercial real estate loan books.

A July pickup in activity is just a start, experts say. The banking industry's drive for scale and greater efficiency is expected to drive a renewed wave of consolidation, pushing the institution count lower.

Prosperity Bancshares announced plans to buy Corpus Christi-based American Bank Holding Corp. in an all-stock deal.

Executives believe the Dallas bank will hit its target for improving a key profitability metric later this year, driven by investment and trading fee income.

The U.K. challenger bank would follow London fintech Wise in emphasizing New York over London in an effort to boost valuation and establish a foothold in the U.S. Plus, Lloyds is in talks to buy all-in-one card fintech Curve; and more news in the global payments and fintech roundup.

Dallas Turner, a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, sent $240,000 via wire transfers after scammers convinced him someone was impersonating him.

The Columbus, Ohio-based company plans to acquire Veritex Holdings, which has grown into one of the Lone Star State's biggest commercial banks over the past 15 years.

Seven of the 20 top-performing banks with $2 billion to $10 billion of assets last year were based in Texas. But it's not about being bigger.

Bill Martin, a real estate developer and athletics executive who founded the community bank in 1996, said he considers the privately held institution to be "like one of my kids."

Business First Bancshares CEO Jude Melville and Progressive Bancorp head George Cummings are both second-generation bank CEOs — common ground that helped propel an $83 million merger deal.