CFO Challenges in the Next Twelve Months

Posted inStrategy
CFOs’ North Star is building a fortress balance sheet generating resilient and growing earnings. It’s a tall order. The path to achieving and sustaining it is ever changing, since capital markets and balance sheet valuations are highly dependent on unpredictable external factors, most notably interest rates, the economy at large and regulatory expectations. The last couple of years have complicated many a CFO’s life even more. They must find ways to modernize their institutions’ infrastructure…

Mid-Year M&A Review

Posted inOperations
Bank M&A floodgates haven’t opened yet. Or, rather, the gates are open but most banks aren’t rushing to capitalize upon the meaningful changes in regulatory posture regarding bank M&A. Interest in consolidation hasn’t waned, but increasing uncertainty is damping banks’ eternal eagerness to get better by getting bigger, rather than getting bigger by being better (a quote from Dick Kovacevich that I’ll never forget). Concerns about inflation, fueled by wild gyrations in oil particles thanks…

Credit trends among community and regional banks

Posted inFinance
Community bank credit trends are particularly confusing these days. While the credit picture is rarely crustal clear, we are witnessing historic low net charge offs coupled with high industry concentrations. For example, trucking is a dominant sector in some watch lists, and contractors are at the top of others’ watch lists. Amitabh Bhargava analyzed Q1 2026 earnings transcripts from 65 community banks and compiled the following key themes for banks under $200B in assets: The…