Regional banks

New American Customer Satisfaction Index data shows consumers slightly favored banks, which are benefiting from investments in technology.

The smooth and relatively short process should be encouraging to other big banks that are eyeing deals. But their window of opportunity may not last long.

The regulators approved the deal after nine months of consideration, but the Fed hit SunTrust with a consent order tied to "unfair and deceptive" business practices from 2013 to 2017.

The Louisiana company's willingness to combine with First Horizon without a big initial payday is fueling talk that other banks could be keen on selling at relatively inexpensive prices.

BB&T and SunTrust had to sell the branches to get Justice Department approval of their merger, a key step toward closing the deal.

If the no-premium agreement announced by First Horizon and Iberiabank this week is a sign that sellers’ asking prices will come down, then Regions might reconsider its anti-M&A stance, a company executive said.

While layoffs at big banks get the headlines, small and midsize lenders are also trimming payrolls in response to lower rates and fears that a recession is getting closer.

Don Kimble assured investors Wednesday that the bank is being "very diligent" in lending to an industry some experts say is already in a recession. Echoing other banking executives, he also predicted that consumer lending would drive overall loan growth in the near term.

Ralph Babb had stepped down as CEO in April. Curtis Farmer, who succeeded him as chief executive, will assume the chairman's title starting next year.

Banco Santander Chairman Ana Botin said that more than a decade after the financial crisis, bankers and other elites remain distrusted around the world, and "as a result, political populism is ascendant."

First Horizon and Iberiabank solidified their resolve after BB&T and SunTrust announced their merger. Bryan Jordan, First Horizon's CEO, says he's convinced the earlier deal is having a similar influence at other regional banks.

The deal will create a Southeastern regional with $75 billion in assets across 11 states.

Taking a page from fintech competitors, banks have worked to enrich the small-business app experience.

The San Antonio company said it withstood rate pressures because it has been ahead of the game in deposit pricing over the last two years.

Bank and other lenders are said to have poured hundreds of billions of dollars into financing private-equity firms and their investment deals in recent years. Defaults have been low, but an economic slowdown could put these relationships to the test.

Shares in the lender fell after it reported lower third-quarter profits, said nonperforming assets rose and cautioned that it had lost multifamily loan deals to competitors offering easier terms.

Concerns over banks’ level of preparation have led to worries about disruptions in the lending market, and some financial institutions warn that a new interest rate benchmark could cause lenders to pull back on credit.

Why the Toronto bank is focusing on digital features; complaints about credit monitoring plans flood CFPB; the strategies midsize banks are relying on to stimulate growth; and more from this week’s most-read stories.

Midsize players like BankUnited, BOK and Fulton Financial plan to rely on selective M&A, catering to niches overlooked by big banks, aggressive recruitment of commercial lenders and other strategies to stimulate revenue growth.

Huntington Bancshares and U.S. Bancorp also said in recent days that they are eliminating jobs to reduce overhead and improve profits. With net interest margins shrinking and branch traffic continuing to decline, expect more banks to follow suit, analysts say.