Retail & Commercial

Bank loans to private equity, mortgage companies as well as other lightly regulated — and increasingly volatile — industries have soared in recent years. The central bank says it needs to know how leveraged those borrowers are and how much risk they pose to the banking system.

Average deposits at the Northern California bank are expected to decline again in the fourth quarter as startups' spending outpaces the venture capital investments they raise. CEO Greg Becker acknowledged the near-term headwinds but said the bank's fundamentals remain solid.

The Dallas company says it could repurchase as much as 8% of its common stock and still have the wherewithal to pursue an acquisition — all in an effort to strengthen its value in the eyes of investors.

The Pacific Northwest bank has agreed to divest 10 branches as a condition of the Department of Justice's green light of its merger with Umpqua Holdings. The deal still needs the blessing of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

The acquisition, which was originally expected to close at the end of last year, ultimately took more than 18 months to receive regulatory approval. It is now expected to close on Dec. 1.

The president is responding to critics who say many of Democrats' key policies do not address core expenses for Americans.

The regulator's demand in confidential talks to settle a series of investigations into mistreatment of customers, described by people with direct knowledge of the matter, reflects its escalating frustration with the bank, which has been punished multiple times by authorities over the past six years for a variety of abuses.

The North Carolina bank has made 11 insurance-related acquisitions in the last three years, and a top executive forecasts more buying chances as brokerage consolidation continues.

The state's largest banks posted solid third-quarter loan growth and earnings. But Hawaii's tourism-heavy economy is vulnerable to lofty inflation and the threat of a downturn.

Credit Suisse Group is planning a fresh round of job cuts at the global wealth management business starting next week, adding to dismissals that already started at the investment bank, according to people familiar with the matter.