Banking

JPMorgan Chase is in early negotiations to build a new headquarters complex in the area of New York's Hudson Yards, the burgeoning district under development on the far west side of Manhattan.

A U.S. housing regulator plans new steps to encourage banks to lend to buyers with less than-perfect credit scores, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Many lenders think home loans are off-limits for undocumented immigrants because they lack Social Security numbers, but higher-cost loans using borrowers' individual taxpayer identification numbers are available and being made by a handful of firms.

An executive order signed by President Obama on Friday that mandated the adoption of chip-and-PIN technology in government cards and enabled its use in facilities like post offices smacks of politics over substance, analysts said.

Richard Hunt of the Consumer Bankers Association explains the industry's beef with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau complaint portal – particularly the agency's proposal to include "narratives" in the information published.

Loan growth, bigger trading gains, and additional interest income from a first-quarter acquisition helped BancFirst in Oklahoma City beat third-quarter earnings estimates.

First Financial Bankshares in Abilene, Texas reported higher third-quarter profits than a year earlier, driven by strong performance from its loan portfolio.

First Horizon National in Memphis, Tenn., beat analysts' estimates for a second consecutive quarter, posting net income of $45 million — 19 cents a share — paced by strong revenue growth and continued improvement in credit quality.

Among the most intriguing aspects of DocMagic's $1.2 million acquisition of eSignSystems is the relationships DocMagic now has with vendors that private label eSignSystems technology, many of whom compete with its own document preparation software.

New York regulator Benjamin Lawsky may use the cybersecurity rules he's proposed for virtual-currency companies as a model for traditional banks. That would subject the financial institutions his agency supervises to the most stringent data-security rules anywhere.

Community Health Systems Inc., a Franklin, Tenn.-based for-profit hospital operator, faces a lawsuit as a result of a large data theft that left patient information of an estimated 4.5 million people at risk.

Comerica in Dallas reported broad loan and deposit growth in the third quarter, increasing net income 4%, to $154 million, from a year earlier.

As the CFPB focuses on the screening processes that banks use to vet checking account applications, regulators should try to maintain a balance between safety and soundness concerns and consumer protection.

The White House is slated to unveil a major package of initiatives on Friday to increase data security for financial transactions, including an executive order to add chip-and-PIN technology to government-issued credit and debit cards.

People's United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn., said solid growth in commercial and mortgage loans drove third-quarter net income up 5% to $61.6 million, or 21 cents per share.

SunTrust Banks in Atlanta reported higher third-quarter earnings on improved fee income from its investment banking unit, mortgages and card fees.

First Niagara Financial in Buffalo, N.Y., plans to close 17 branches and two drive-through locations in January.

Congress and banking agencies should seize the opportunity to eliminate unnecessary and outdated requirements.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, reported lower third-quarter earnings despite an uptick in revenue. The culprit was its nearly $23 million in special expenses.

Morgan Stanley reported earnings that almost doubled, beating analysts' estimates, on a 9 percent jump in revenue from trading stocks and bonds.