The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index is down more than 7% year to date. Analysts blame confusion caused by President Trump's evolving tariff policies and heightened worries about an economic downturn that could hurt banks' credit quality.

The acquisition bucks recent trends that saw depository banks eliminate mortgage lending, but the 2025 market environment may be favorable for consolidation.

As climate change causes more frequent disasters, more mortgages are at risk of going underwater. How can banks limit their exposure?

In a forum Tuesday, Senate Democrats railed against President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to shutter the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as anti-consumer and illegal.

The Trump administration's nominee to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Jonathan McKernan, is seen as an institutionalist with a deep knowledge of policy. But whether he keeps the bureau shuttered or rebuilds it is uncertain.

Joseph Otting, who is leading Flagstar's turnaround, said potential buyers may be interested in acquiring the regional bank once it gets past certain challenges.

A stop-work order from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's newly appointed acting director Russell Vought has created uncertainty about the future of consumer-oriented enforcement activity.

The Federal Reserve Board lifted two enforcement actions against the megabank dating back to 2011. But the Fed's seven-year-old asset cap remains in effect.

The acquisition adds mortgage warehouse lending to Minnesota's Stearns Bank, the latest to offer the service during a multiyear period that has seen several new entrants and exits.

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