John Reosti

Orlando-based Cogent Bank has hired a team to finance single-tenant net lease properties, an asset class characterized by exceptional credit quality.

Bank of Glen Burnie, which is seeking to recover from a stretch when its assets declined, hopes that its deal for a residential lender can help boost loan production.

The decision to rejoin the CEO and chairman roles comes roughly two months after regulators removed an asset cap that had stunted the San Francisco-based company's growth for seven years.

Strong fee income growth and solid credit quality helped offset weak demand for credit as the San Francisco-based bank reported a 20% boost to earnings per share from a year ago.

Richmond, Virginia-based Atlantic Union Bankshares has sold $2 billion in performing commercial real estate loans to Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies. 

Lipkin, who built Valley National Bancorp from a small community bank into a regional institution with 200 branches in four states, passed away this week at age 84.

Regulators' decision to lift a seven-year-old cap on the size of the megabank's balance sheet will produce benefits over the long haul, but it won't result in any sudden gains, according to CFO Michael Santomassimo.

The Seattle-based company, which had made home loans for more than a century, announced it was quitting the mortgage business in January. It booked nearly 400 small business loans in the first quarter and expects that total to grow as its team gains traction.

Banks seeking to offload CRE assets are finding a receptive marketplace while regulators have managed to keep the situation in balance, observers say.

The Stamford, Connecticut-based bank hired Steven Sugarman to be its president. The former bank CEO, who now heads one of the country's largest mission-based lenders, will help drive an effort to close a capital gap.