Economy

While Freddie Mac is moving cautiously into buying manufactured housing loans not secured by land, Fannie Mae is moving more aggressively. Industry representatives are divided on which approach is superior.

On March 31, 2017. Dollars in thousands

On March 31, 2017. Dollars in thousands

On March 31, 2017. Dollars in thousands

Associated Banc-Corp is the latest industry welterweight to get back into M&A. That should benefit larger sellers that have watched the bigger regionals sit idle in the last couple of years.

The Birmingham, Ala., bank has been cutting exposure to indirect auto, multifamily and medical office lending, categories it deems high-risk.

The Ohio company also reported that credit quality metrics remain well within its targeted range.

Increased dealings in direct consumer lending and guaranteed student loans offset a decline in mortgage-related income. A lower loan-loss provision also helped the bottom line.

Same-day Automated Clearing House transactions exist, in part, as a first step in the faster payments initiatives taking place in the U.S. But are they lucrative enough for acquirers to add to their portfolio?

But the Connecticut company says the efficiencies of its recent acquisition of Suffolk Bancorp will begin to be realized soon.

The McLean, Va., lender, which has substantial exposure to subprime consumer loans, also added to its provision for credit losses.

The $482 million deal would be Associated's first bank acquisition since June 2007.

The Pittsburgh company, pleased with employee and client retention from its March purchase of Yadkin Financial, is looking to hire lenders from other institutions.

The Cleveland company, once criticized for an initial six-year forecast, now believes it will only take four years to rebuild its tangible book value.

Regional banks are hoping that recent comments by Fed Chair Janet Yellen can add fuel to their efforts to replace the $50 billion asset threshold for systemically important banks with a regulatory indicator test.

Clearing services, assets under custody and administration and other parts of the trust bank's operations rose in the second quarter, all good news as it shifts leadership from Gerald Hassell to former Visa CEO Charlie Scharf.

Leaf Commercial Capital originates about $500 million in loans annually tied to equipment and software purchases.

KeyCorp also recorded a gain after buying the remaining ownership interest in a merchant services joint venture.

The company's results benefited from its increased dealings in correspondent lending, while net chargeoffs tied to energy loans decreased during the second quarter.

Increasingly, the acquiring and ISO business has taken the view that advances in technology that originally looked like threats instead made it easier to sell more products and support more payment types. But this opportunity won't last forever.