Banking

The $3.8 billion-asset Provident said Thursday it would pay $344 million in stock for Sterling, or about 1.3 shares of Provident stock for each Sterling share.

Recent enforcement actions indicate banks must get better at evaluating the risks associated with their third-party service providers.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville expected disgruntled shareholder Jay Sidhu to blast its deal to sell itself to Bond Street Holdings — and he came through.

The independent foreclosure review process was disorganized, ineffective and inconsistent, according to a draft report by the Government Accountability Office.

Mobile commerce and digital payments are producing a staggering amount of information about consumers. Making the best use of this data is a challenge that some companies are trying overcome with technology and analytics.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM), the biggest U.S. bank, defeated most of a lawsuit brought by Dexia over about $1.6 billion in mortgage-backed securities it bought before the financial crisis.

Shareholders will vote on a proposal to rename it CommunityOne Bancorp at their annual meeting on June 20, FNB United said Wednesday. Its board has already approved the change.

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares (NHTB) in Newport has agreed to buy Central Financial Corp. (CEVT) in Randolph, Vt.

The plan, which was first reported by the Washington Post, sounds similar to a framework the Federal Housing Finance Agency unveiled in September to help alleviate mortgage lenders' concerns about exposure to bad loans.

Shares of Independent Bank Group (IBTX) in McKinney, Texas, rose nearly 13% during their first day of trading.

Community Bank System (CBU) in DeWitt, N.Y., is asking shareholders for authorization to issue more common stock.

The Federal Reserve Board approved a rule Wednesday that outlines the criteria regulators will use to determine if a nonbank is systemically important.

A former GSE regulator is giving a big thumbs up for the Federal Housing Finance Agency's plan to build a new securities platform that will replace the aging platforms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mae are currently operating.

Efforts to bolster the nation's cybersecurity will hinge on the willingness of financial firms, utility operators and other owners of critical infrastructure to share information about threats.

A number of community banks are relying on fixed-rate loans to produce short-term profits, but the move could backfire when interest rates rise.

Toronto-Dominion will promote U.S. head Bharat Masrani to CEO once Ed Clark retires in late 2014. Organic growth and selective M&A — especially in the U.S. — will remain priorities during the lengthy transition period, the executives of the Canadian company said.

The banking industry's pace of expansion accelerated after bankers reported increased momentum in applications for commercial loans.

With the legislation, Utah becomes the 11th state to outlaw the fees, which Visa and MasterCard are now allowing for the first time.

Lawyers representing retail trade organizations in the class action over card swipe fees are preparing "a strong response" to allegations that they are misleading in how they urge their members to oppose the proposed settlement in the eight-year-long case.

The person VeriFone's board of directors chooses as its next CEO must move quickly to address the myriad challenges facing the point of sale terminal maker. But opportunities abound that make the company's revival a worthwhile undertaking.