Strategic Insights into Banking & Fintech

National Bank in Denver takes earnings hit after suspected borrower fraud

National Bank in Denver takes earnings hit after suspected borrower fraud

National Bank Holding in Denver reported lower quarterly earnings after charging off a credit due to suspected fraud by a borrower. The $10.1 billion-asset company said in a press release that its first-quarter net income fell by 23% from a year earlier, to $24.2 million. The company recorded $10.2 million of provision expense, largely due to the problematic loan. National Bank provided no other details about the borrower or the

April 23, 2025
BCB in N.J. posts 1Q loss after downgrading $34M cannabis loan

BCB in N.J. posts 1Q loss after downgrading $34M cannabis loan

BCB Bancorp in Bayonne, N.J., lost money in the first quarter after setting funds aside to cover issues with a borrower in the cannabis sector. The billion-asset company said in a press release that it lost $8.3 million, after earnings $5.9 million a year earlier. The first quarter included a $13.7 million specific reserve tied to a $34.2 million loan in the cannabis sector. “Although the borrower remains current, the

April 23, 2025
Orange County Bancorp in N.Y. sells branch location for $2.5 million

Orange County Bancorp in N.Y. sells branch location for $2.5 million

Orange County Bancorp in Middleton, N.Y., has agreed to sell a branch for $2.5 million. The $2.5 billion-asset company said in a press release that it will sell the property in Middleton to JRTN Properties in a deal expected to close this week. Orange County will lease the branch on a month-to-month basis through the rest of this year.

April 23, 2025
Fintech custodian Altruist raises $152 million, valuation nears $2 billion

Fintech custodian Altruist raises $152 million, valuation nears $2 billion

Fintech custodian Altruist raised $152 million in a Series F funding round. The Los Angeles company said in a press release that the round was led by GIC, with Salesforce Ventures, Geodesic Capital, Baillie Gifford, the Carson Family Office, and ICONIQ Growth also participating. The round values the company at approximately $1.9 billion. “Altruist’s track record of building best-in-class, innovative products has positioned them to serve a large and growing

April 22, 2025
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union to buy Prime Meridian Bank in Florida

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union to buy Prime Meridian Bank in Florida

MIDFLORIDA Credit Union in Lakeland, Fla., has agreed to buy Prime Meridian Bank in Tallahassee, Fla. The $8.6 billion-asset credit union said in a press release that it will pay $58.50 a share in cash for the $924 million-asset bank in a deal expected to close next year. Prime Meridian, which has four branches, would be MIDFLORIDA’s third bank acquisition in the past five years. “As Florida’s community credit union

April 22, 2025
MainStreet in Va. fighting sale proposal, pulls plug on BaaS platform

MainStreet in Va. fighting sale proposal, pulls plug on BaaS platform

MainStreet Bancshares in Fairfax, Va., is encouraging investors to reject a shareholder proposal that the board sell the Fairfax, Va., company. The $2.2 billion-asset company also announced that it pulled the plug on its long-planned Avenu Banking-as-a-Service platform. Shareholder Philip Timyan proposed that the company and its assets be sold "at the earliest opportunity for the highest price available" due to what he views as subpar returns. Timyan owns about

April 21, 2025
Unsolicited offer preceded Guaranty Bancorp-Bar Harbor negotiations

Unsolicited offer preceded Guaranty Bancorp-Bar Harbor negotiations

An unsolicited acquisition offer last fall set off a competitive courtship that ultimately led Guaranty Bancorp in Woodsville, N.H., to strike a deal to sell to buy Bar Harbor Bankshares in Bar Harbor, Maine. The $4.1 billion-asset Bar Harbor agreed in March to buy the $675 million Guaranty for $41.6 million in stock. The unnamed bank’s non-binding offer, delivered privately to Guaranty CEO James Graham during an Oct. 1 lunch

April 21, 2025
Washington Trust in R.I. uses sale-leaseback to offset hit from nixed pension plan

Washington Trust in R.I. uses sale-leaseback to offset hit from nixed pension plan

Washington Trust Bancorp in Westerly, R.I., used a sale-leaseback transaction to offset a hit from terminating its qualified pension plan. The $6.6 billion-asset company said in a press release that its first-quarter net income rose by 11.4% from a year earlier, to $12.2 million. The company lost $60.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 after repositioning its balance sheet. Washington Trust sold five branches in the first quarter at

April 21, 2025