The Week's Best Quotes
January 29, 2013 8:40 AM
The most memorable comments from American Banker stories of the previous week. Readers are encouraged to add their own observations in the Comments fields at the bottom of each slide. (Image: Fotolia)
On banks' use of credit leverage to boost earnings:
"The credit story has about run its course. There are another few quarters that credit can improve… but investors are beginning to focus on real revenue growth."Credit leverage Running Out at Community Banks
- Jeff Davis, managing director of the financial institutions group at Mercer Capital
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On the missing personal relationship between banks' and their customers:
"When I call the pizza place, they know who I am. When I call my bank, they have no idea who I am."Chase, RBC Sign Off on E-Signature (Image: Bloomberg News)
- Craig Le Claire, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester
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On the risk in failed-bank deals involving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation:
"There are explosions in compost piles out there."Wintrust Chief Turns Earnings Call into Stand-Up Act
- Ed Wehmer, chief executive of Wintrust Financial
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On Diebold's view of Chief Executive Tom Swidarski the day it forced him out:
"The board respects Tom a lot."Diebold CEO Pushed Out Amid Disappointing Results (Image: Michael Chu)
- Diebold spokesman Mike Jacobsen
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On why Fulton Financial focuses on small business and retail lending:
"We can't compete [with banks that] have to pay a CFO [chief financial officer] a lot of money to have the most sophisticated products and lowest prices. I don't think we want to try and compete in that market."Fulton's New CEO Wants to Focus on Growth Initiatives
- Fulton Financial chairman and chief executive Philip Wenger
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On balancing the desire to do deals with the opportunities in the M&A market:
"We have ample capital to do a lot of transactions if we can find the good ones."Bank of the Ozarks Deal a Good Sign for Open-Bank M&A
- Bank of the Ozarks chairman and chief executive George Gleason
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On Capital One's multibillion-dollar deals for ING Direct and HSBC's U.S. credit card portfolio:
"I think people are disappointed with the earnings power with these two deals."Capital One's Big Acquisitions Fall Short of Profit Hopes (Image: Bloomberg News)
- Telsey Advisory Group analyst Mike Taiano
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On whether KeyCorp has been aggressive enough in cutting costs:
"We have been, are and will be diligent in considering every meaningful idea. Nothing is off the table."KeyCorp Pressed for More Expense Cuts (Image: Thinkstock)
- KeyCorp chairman and chief executive Beth Mooney
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On the need to market mobile banking better:
"One of the big things is not just what we tell customers, but what customers tell their friends."Secrets of Mobile Success: Cost-Cutting Banks Seek Smartphone Customers (Image: Thinkstock)
- Ravi Acharya, senior vice president of digital
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On First Niagara's plan to cut costs by $40 million:
"We must spend less [where] the potential for revenue growth is compromised. We need to be extra disciplined in 2013 and reduce overall costs."First Niagara Aims to Cut Annual Costs by $40M This Year (Image: Thinkstock)
- John Koelmel, First Niagara president and chief executive
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On former CFO Keith Rabois' resignation from Square over a sexual-harassment allegation:
"I was told that only a payment of millions of dollars will make this go away, and that my career, my reputation and my livelihood will be threatened if Square and I don't pay up… While I have certainly made mistakes, this threat feels like a shakedown, and I will defend myself to the fullest extent of the law."Square: COO's Resignation Tied to Sexual Harassment Claim (Image: Bloomberg News)
- former Square chief operating officer Keith Rabois
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On the prospect that a court ruling rejecting presidential recess appointments will invalidate the status of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray:
"There is no difference between the NLRB [National Labor Relations Board] appointments and Cordray's appointment. I would argue that all the things that only a director can do basically have no legal force."Cordray Recess Appointment Called Into Question with Court Ruling (Image: Thinkstock)
- David Rivkin, partner at the law firm Baker Hostetler
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On the prospect that a court ruling rejecting presidential recess appointments will invalidate the status of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Richard Cordray:
"Cordray's appointment wasn't challenged in this case so there is nothing automatic."Cordray Recess Appointment Called Into Question with Court Ruling (Image: Bloomberg News)
- Don Lampe, a partner with the law firm Dykema
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