Regional Banks

Merger activity increased last week with five new deals announced and seven closing. You can find all the active deals listed below in our Merger Arbitrage Tool that automatically updates itself during market hours. Deal Statistics: Total Number of Deals Closed in 2011 74 Total Number of Deals...

Shares of Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) are lower on the session by 1.69%, currently trading at $12.78. The stock has been moving largely lower over the past four months and is currently trading below the 50-day moving average. Options traders are buying puts on the name today. A short while...

Nara Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: NARA) and Center Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: CLFC) today announced plans for the strategic consolidation of three Southern California branches, to be implemented on completion of the proposed merger. In addition, Center Financial announced the planned consolidation...

Popular Inc (NASDAQ: BPOP) dipped 5.61% to $2.86 in the pre-market session. BPOP announced termination of negotiations to sell bad loans. ImmunoGen Inc (NASDAQ: IMGN) fell 4.56% to $12.15 in the pre-market session. IMGN intends to offer shares of its common stock in an underwritten public...

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods commented on Pacific Continental (NASDAQ: PCBK) in a report released earlier today. In the report, Keefe was positive in its outlook on the company. Keefe writes, "PCBK is a solid lender with a proven track record for establishing relationship-based loans and deposits....

Keefe Bruyette rates Pacific Continental (NASDAQ: PCBK) as New Outperform. The price target is set at $11.

Popular, Inc. (Nasdaq: BPOP) announced today that Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, its principal banking subsidiary, and a financial group led by an unrelated real estate investment and asset management firm had terminated negotiations regarding the sale by BPPR of a portfolio of non-performing...

KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) announced today that its Board of Directors had approved an increase in the company's quarterly dividend on its common shares for the second quarter, 2011. A regular cash dividend of $0.03 per share of its common shares, or $0.12 per share on an annualized basis, was approved...

Oppenheimer commented on the Southeast banks. In a research report published today, which was intended to provide "an overview of the Southeast banking industry, including current trading valuations, company news and fundamentals, price performance, loan growth and merger & acquisition trends...

The directors of First Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: THFF) have declared a semi-annual dividend of 47 cents per share payable on July 1, 2011, to shareholders of record at the close of business June 15, 2011. Today's declaration increases the total dividend paid in 2011 to 93 cents per share, a...

According to Sterne Agee, UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF) 2011E EPS is raised slightly. Sterne Agee said that it met with the management of UMBF's personal wealth management and asset management businesses. “Both teams were optimistic about growth—in top-line and bottom-line—prospects going forward....

Cusick's Corner The Bulls have the Buck, UUP, finishing the After Hours at the worst levels of the day. Tech, QQQQ, was the drag as earnings came in strong but forecasts were guided down for future quarters. Finance, XLF, finished the day at its best levels, taking some of the pressure off of the...

George F. Jones, president and CEO of Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: TCBI), the parent company of Texas Capital Bank, today announced that Dale W. Tremblay has been elected to the board of directors. The addition of Tremblay expands the board to 13 members.

Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (NYSE: MI) today announced that the holders of its common stock approved the merger agreement with Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO) pursuant to which BMO will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of M&I in a stock-for-stock transaction. In addition,...

Cascade Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CASB), the parent company of Cascade Bank, today announced that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass Lewis & Co., two of the leading independent U.S. proxy advisory firms, have both recommended that the company's shareholders vote "FOR" the...