East Texas Bankshares of Livingston plans to merge its two banks. The company said it will merge the $311 million-asset First National Bank of Jasper into the $438 million-asset First State Bank in Livingston. “We feel strongly that our customers and communities we service are really going to benefit from this merger,” Stephen Ernest, president and CEO of First National Bank, told KJAS.com. Robert Sebaugh, president and CEO of First

Derek Williams did not plan on a banking career. After graduating from college in 1984, he considered corporate finance. A recession, and a disappointing interaction with a stockbroker, led him to enter a training program at a community bank. "Banking wasn't something I really started out to do," he told The Bank Slate in a wide-ranging interview. "But I enjoyed the idea of doing something that let me have time

SVB Financial in Santa Clara, Calif., saw its shares tumble after disclosing plans to raise capital after selling a large amount of its bond portfolio at a loss. The $212 billion-asset company said in a press release that it sold about $21 billion of securities at a roughly $1.8 billion loss, or "substantially" all of its available-for-sale securities. SVB's stock fell by more than 60% on Thursday. SVB said in

Julie L. Williams, who twice served as Acting Comptroller of the Currency, has joined the board of Anchorage Digital Bank in San Francisco. Williams oversaw the OCC from April 1998 to December 1998 and from October 2004 to August 2005. Her addition "brings us additional banking industry and regulatory perspectives and experience, enhancing the value that we provide our clients and helping us shape a model for the industry," Anchorage

Silvergate Capital in La Jolla, Calif., plans to wind down operations and voluntarily liquidate its bank. The $11.4 billion-asset company said in a press release that the effort “is the best path forward” and would include a full repayment of all deposits. Silvergate also said it is considering how best to resolve claims and preserve the residual value of its assets. Centerview Partners and Cravath, Swaine & Moore will advise

Newtek Business Services in Boca Raton, Fla., which recently bought a bank, has filed to raise up to $500 million by selling securities and issuing debt. The company’s shelf registration includes common and preferred stock, depositary shares, subscription rights, warrants and debt securities. No timetable was set for any sales. Newtek said would use the net proceeds from any sale “for general corporate purposes unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus

Saint Louis Bancshares in St. Louis, Mo., has raised $27 million in capital. The parent of the $824 million-asset St. Louis Bank plans to use the funds for growth initiatives. The capital included $10 million of Series A non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, $4 million of common stock and $13 million of debt. "We believe Saint Louis Bank’s record of performance and proven ability to execute our growth strategy are key

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati has agreed to buy Big Data Healthcare, a healthcare payments company. The $207 billion-asset Fifth Third did not disclose the price it will pay for the company, which adds more digital capabilities to the bank’s healthcare platform. “The healthcare industry is one of the largest and fastest growing segments of the U.S. economy,” Kevin Lavender, Fifth Third’s head of commercial banking, said in a press