Capital

First Foundation in Irvine, Calif., has begun an initial public offering to raise up to $100 million.

The bank plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including possible acquisitions such as potential FDIC-assisted transactions. Iberiabank may also use the proceeds for working capital and for investments in subsidiaries to support continued growth.

United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., has filed a shelf registration for senior notes to help pay for its acquisition of a South Carolina bank.

While rising rates may temporarily improve net interest margin and profits, they will not increase bank stock prices for at least three reasons.

Pinnacle Financial Partners in Nashville, Tenn., plans to raise $60 million in subordinated debt in a private placement.

A fifth of the financial institutions that participated in the Small Business Lending Fund have fully left the program and an increasing number of banks are joining them before the dividend rate jumps to 9% next year.

What asset threshold? Community banks may not be required by law to conduct stress tests, but about one in three have been asked by their examiners to do so, according to a recent survey of banks.

Meta Financial Group in Sioux Falls, S.D., agreed to sell $3.1 million of common stock to a group of existing investors and reached a separate agreement to issue prepaid cards for a business partner.

Banks better get ready for a quick, steep increase in deposit costs after the Fed raises rates. Technology, new regulations and other factors have changed the slower-paced retail-banking game of old, JPMorgan Chase executives say.

National Bank Holdings in Greenwood Village, Colo., plans to repurchase as much as $100 million of its common stock.

First Choice Bank, in Cerritos, Calif., has raised $30 million from a secondary stock offering.

Equitable Financial in Grand Island, Neb., said its depositors and stockholders have approved its plan to convert from a mutual thrift to a fully stock-owned company.

Citizens Community Bank in South Hill, Va., has redeemed about 75% of its outstanding preferred stock in the Small Business Lending Fund.

MidWestOne Financial Group in Iowa City, Iowa has raised $8.4 million in a private placement of its common stock.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., has taken several steps to restructure its debt holdings, including prepaying $60 million in advances with the Federal Home Loan Bank and $56.3 million of securities sold under separate repurchase agreements.

Access National's four-year-old wealth management subsidiary has grown rapidly and is poised to enter the black. The allure of fee revenues has drawn many community banks into this field amid weak loan growth and tight interest margins.

Credit Karma in San Francisco has raised $175 million in venture capital to expand its product offerings for consumers' personal finances.

CoBiz Financial in Denver plans to issue up subordinated debt to redeem its shares in the Small Business Lending Fund.

The $20.4 billion-asset company said in a news release that it could offer fixed-to-floating rate non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, according to a shelf registration filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Atlantic Coast Financial in Jacksonville, Fla., is in talks to restructure its debt and has reversed the valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset.