Banking

Bank executives have faced relentless questions about their energy-sector exposure during fourth-quarter earnings calls this month, as oil has bobbed above and below $30 a barrel. They are taking more drastic actions to contain losses, but it still might not be enough.

The $9 billion-asset company said in a press release Monday that it will incur about $5 million in additional expenses during the first half of this year to cover the cost of closing the offices.

Malvern Bancorp in Paoli, Pa., on Wednesday reported a profit for its first fiscal quarter of 2016 and said the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency had lifted a formal written agreement with its Malvern Federal Savings Bank subsidiary dating to October 2014.

The energy sector downturn took a big bite out of quarterly earnings at Cullen/Frost Bankers in San Antonio.

Commercial loan growth fueled a 20% rise in fourth-quarter profit at EverBank Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., outweighing a sharp drop in fee income.

Banking's top trade groups sent a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to intervene and stop a plan by the National Credit Union Administration to expand field of membership for federal credit unions.

New York Community Bancorp in Westbury, N.Y., posted a fourth-quarter loss after incurring a large charge from prepaying $10.4 billion in wholesale borrowings.

RealtyTrac on Wednesday released its Year-End 2015 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, which shows that there were 6.4 million U.S. properties seriously underwater - where the combined loan amount secured by the property is at least 25% higher than the property’s estimated market value.

Santander Consumer USA Holdings on Wednesday reported a sharp drop in profits, due to losses tied to its exit from personal lending.

Capital One Financial's fourth-quarter profit fell short of projections as the McLean, Va., company boosted its reserves in anticipation of higher loan losses.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group took a surprise 3.6 billion-pound ($5.2 billion) hit to the value of its assets and set aside more money for past misconduct, limiting Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan's ability to return capital to shareholders.

UMB Financial in Kansas City, Mo., reported higher fourth-quarter profit, thanks to loan growth tied to a recent acquisition.

The $649 million-asset holding company for Malvern Federal Savings Bank promoted Karen Walter to chief operating officer.

The Mississippi bank hopes its settlement talks with the CFPB and Justice Department ultimately clear the way for it to complete acquisitions in Texas and Louisiana, but time is running short.

Capital One Financial's fourth-quarter profit fell short of projections as the McLean, Va., company boosted its reserves in anticipation of higher loan losses.

JPMorgan Chase customers will soon be able to withdraw cash using their mobile phones at the company’s ATMs.

Trustmark in Jackson, Miss., reported lower quarterly profit after a decline in deposit service charges and mortgage banking offset loan growth and reduced expenses.

Talmer agreed to sell itself in a privately negotiated deal that values the company at 150% of its tangible book value. For some analysts and investors, the company should have considered an auction — or not selling at all.

Fintech is a chic topic at Davos, but it's barely a blip on the radar of analysts who lock in on hard numbers during earnings calls. Yet with tech taking a bigger role in financial services, mobile banking or the blockchain might soon become as topical as efficiency ratios or net interest margins.

In the absence of congressional action on housing finance reform, here is what the Federal Housing Finance Agency should do sooner rather than later.