Banking

The Boston bank, which has been targeted by an activist investor over its M&A strategy, isn't pursuing deals, CEO Denis Sheahan said Friday. Instead, the company is focused on organic growth and share buybacks.

Goldman Sachs makes leadership changes across its global credit business; JPMorganChase names Simon Dale global head of the credit portfolio group lending; Citi hires Anand Govind as a managing director on its technology investment banking team; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The House Financial Services Committee passed a community bank tailoring bill 33-21.

Once seen as a sleepy corner of the financial services industry, asset servicing has become increasingly important for banks as artificial intelligence, blockchains and a generational transfer of wealth alter the landscape.

The Brazilian digital bank Banco Inter now has a license from the Federal Reserve Board and the state of Florida to establish a virtual "branch" in Miami.

Shares of the California lender surged 25% on news of the leadership change and preliminary fourth-quarter earnings.

The McLean, Virginia-based bank plans to close the deal in mid-2026, about a year after it sealed its landmark purchase of Discover Financial Services.

Three weeks after completing its "merger of equals" with Synovus Financial, Pinnacle Financial Partners said it plans to hire 225 to 250 revenue-generating bankers in 2026 across its newly expanded Southeast footprint.

The bank's AI-based virtual assistant, which began development 10 years ago, is now used by 42 million customers and more than 200,000 employees. It does everything from sending wire transfers to unlocking corporate phones.

The regional bank recorded $130 million of legal charges during the fourth quarter in connection with the resolution of a legal battle involving overdraft fees. Its earnings also took a hit from $63 million in employee severance costs.

The auto lender's earnings mostly surpassed expectations in the fourth quarter, but in 2026 it expects higher unemployment and a weaker labor market.

Though fourth-quarter net charge-offs reached a level not seen since the financial crisis, the Little Rock, Arkansas-based regional bank is forecasting better results in 2026 and an even stronger recovery in 2027.

The Providence, Rhode Island-based bank has steadily revamped certain parts of its strategy. Now, it will update its systems for serving customers.

The bank technology seller's deal with Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company is an opportunity to cash in on a government initiative to reduce cash — and comes on the heels of an earnings miss. Plus, Klarna plans to offer more credit options through a partnership with Walmart-backed OnePay, Revolut embraces agentic AI protocols and more in American Banker's global payments and fintech roundup.

The future of banking will see core bank systems rebuilt around artificial intelligence tools that inform decisions about everything from underwriting to compliance. Banks must begin the transition now.

The payment company is betting on agentic commerce to get its checkout tech in front of more merchants and consumers.

The Minneapolis-based regional saw its fourth-quarter profits jump 23%. Consumer deposits bumped up, while operating expenses remained muted.

A New Jersey courier scam highlights the severe liability risks consumers face when using debit cards compared to credit cards.

In the 11 months after Fifth Third completes its acquisition of Comerica, the Cincinnati bank plans to send 13 million-to-14 million pieces of paper mail to retail customers. CEO Tim Spence says the old-fashioned method "still works," and actually has some advantages over more modern modes of communication.