Financial institutions

A flurry of activity in recent weeks has prompted chatter on earning calls about banks’ merger ambitions. While some CEOs bemoaned high asking prices, others said they are making more inquiries, identifying targets and, in some cases, closing in on deals.

Comerica, which focuses on the energy sector, reported strong payment trends last quarter, while M&T, which concentrates more on real estate, showed deterioration. The divergence reflects varying exposures to sectors hit hard by the COVID-19 recession.

Year to date through Mar. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Full-time equivalent, as of Mar. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Year to date through Mar. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

First Women's Bank received approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. this week and is set to open its doors in the fall. It is the first new bank to be chartered in Illinois since 2010.

The Minneapolis company recently advised a nonprofit on a $30 million issuance that will provide financing to developers building multifamily housing and community facilities. It includes a framework, which the bank intends to deploy again, for informing investors on how the money is being used.

Recent delays may be frustrating, but the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency isn't closing the door on financial technology companies. However, applicants will have to be patient, forthright about their business plans and willing to actively engage any state or federal regulatory agencies that the OCC consults.

Native American reservations have some of the country's highest concentrations of unbanked households. But tribes are finding ways to get their members access to capital — with or without banks.

PNC, Regions and TD are among the banks that have taken steps to reduce their reliance on charges that disproportionately hit consumers living paycheck to paycheck. The changes come at a time when the Biden administration is expected to take a tougher stance on overdrafts.

Income share agreements, which allow college graduates to repay tuition financing as a percentage of their future income, have come under fire lately from consumer advocates for questionable marketing and other potential legal violations. Some hope a partnership between a Virginia bank and an ISA provider will give the product more legitimacy, while others worry it just masks risks for borrowers.

The Treasury Department is awarding $1.25 billion to 863 community development financial institutions through the Rapid Response Program, which allows banks and credit unions to earmark funds for mortgages and business loans in underserved markets.

On Mar. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

On Mar. 31, 2021. Dollars in thousands.

Andrew Harmening, who took the helm of the Wisconsin company in April, pointed to an economy emerging from the pandemic and waning loan deferrals, saying that loan growth could resume by the end of the third quarter.

Nine of the 12 largest banking companies in the U.S. proposed higher quarterly payouts to shareholders. In announcing the actions, the banks touted their strength after more than a year of economic dislocation.

The House Financial Services Committee passed a bill along party lines to require global systemically important banks to submit new annual reports on activities to the Fed.

Cannabis, though still illegal at the federal level, continues to inch into the financial mainstream. Small credit unions and lenders as large as Valley National and East West have moved beyond just taking deposits from marijuana companies.

Julie Caperton, a longtime executive at the $1.9 trillion-asset bank, succeeds Julia Wellborn, who left the company in April.

The Biden administration will award $1.25 billion to hundreds of community lenders in an effort to speed the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, Vice President Kamala Harris will announce on Tuesday.