Banking

Investors drove up the stock prices of both companies after Ally Financial said it's selling its point-of-sale lending business to Synchrony Financial. The deal is expected to help Ally focus on its bread-and-butter auto lending business, while also aiding Synchrony's efforts to gain market share.

Citizens Bank of Edmond's Jill Castilla is reappointed to Fed Advisory Council; Old National injects $1.2 billion into its existing community benefits program; former Ernst & Young CEO Mark Weinberger joins JPMorgan's board; and more in our weekly banking news roundup.

The Alabama bank's executives said commercial borrowers remain cautious amid high rates and economic uncertainty. During the fourth quarter, flat lending and higher deposit costs weighed down the company's net interest income.

The new service will allow financial institutions to streamline the process for moving accounts and verifying income.

The top five banks and thrifts have a combined first mortgage loan volume of more than $1 trillion.

Industry Bancshares' bond portfolio is massively underwater, and one of its regulators says the company is in "troubled condition." But Industry says it was already working on fixes prior to the OCC's intervention, which it calls an "unfortunate example of regulatory overreach."

The Cleveland-based regional bank was not well positioned for the sharp rise in interest rates last year. But executives say the year ahead will be different, pointing to strong credit quality and a repricing of Key's securities portfolio.

The Dallas bank's full-year results showed progress toward its long-term strategic goals despite a fourth-quarter drop-off in net interest income heavily tied to its mortgage business, executives said on an earnings call.

Despite a surge in quarterly expenses in the fourth quarter and a projected uptick in the first quarter, the North Carolina company is standing by its expense guidance for 2024.

Fourth-quarter net income at the Buffalo, New York, bank fell 37% because of higher funding costs and a special deposit insurance assessment. But lower interest rates and a stronger economy are expected to strengthen profits this year and into 2025, its CFO says.

As part of a settlement with the Justice Department, Patriot Bank must invest more than $1 million of the total in a loan subsidy fund for minority homeowners and take other corrective steps in its everyday business. The bank denied any wrongdoing.

Centra Credit Union in Columbus, Indiana — which completed a merger with NorthPark Community Credit Union this month — has agreed to absorb Hoosier Hills Credit Union. The latest deal would create a $3 billion-asset institution.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to release a proposal that would set maximum overdraft fees at $14 for the largest banks in an overhaul of how overdraft fees are calculated and charged.

The Wall Street giant did a lot of backtracking last year, abandoning its plans to become a bank for everyone. Now it's refocusing on growing its tried-and-true businesses of dealmaking and asset management.

The Pittsburgh-based regional bank reported a jump in soured commercial and consumer credits during the fourth quarter. Still, PNC executives said the company is appropriately reserved for a mild recession.

Two weeks after Ted Pick rose to CEO, the company slightly revised its long-term targets for efficiency, return on tangible common equity and other metrics. Yet, Pick says, "there's not a change in strategy" after the departure of his predecessor, James Gorman.

The Seattle bank's stock price fell in 2023 amid concerns over rising interest rates and its concentration of multifamily loans. The buyer is FirstSun Capital Bancorp, which raised $175 million as part of the deal.

The bank agreed to pay an $18 million fine to settle the probe without admitting or denying the SEC's findings. 

The custody bank is managing expectations about its 2024 performance while assuring investors that profits will improve significantly in the medium term. AI is one path it's pursuing.

Jane Fraser says this year will be "critical" for the megabank, which is engaged in a massive, multiyear restructuring that involves cutting 20,000 jobs by the end of 2026.