Banking

M&T doubles profit

A recent addition to the Richmond banking scene, Buffalo-based M&T Bank, doubled its first quarter profit from the previous year. The bank said it earned $151 million during the first quarter, up 136 percent from $64 million. Last year the bank acquired Baltimore-based Provident Bank, which had several branches in the Richmond area. According to… Read more »

Could SunTrust be sold?

SunTrust, a regional bank with major offices in downtown Richmond, might be an acquisition target of an international bank, according to a Credit Suisse investor report. SunTrust is the nation’s seventh largest bank by assets and deposits. From an article in the Washington Business Journal: The analyst said Winston Salem, N.C.-based BB&T Corp. is the… Read more »

Credit union turns brew house into branch

“We have a very busy branch on Glenside Drive; we are trying to serve members in that area by relieving that business there. We have looked for a location for a long time,” said Glenn Birch, a spokesman for the credit union.

“Back to basics” say bankers

Local bankers know they’re not the most popular guys around town these days. But the banking model doesn’t work so well when real estate prices are fluctuating so wildly and major industries are falling by the wayside. There were two banking panels this week both centered around the topic of why banks seem tighter lending than this time two years ago. Both had a similar refrain.

Local bank files plan with regulators

According to the agreement, Bank of Virginia must submit to regulators a plan that improves its loan policies, credit risk management and board oversight, among other requirements. The bank must also complete a management review and develop a strategic plan to improve the bank’s earnings and budget for 2010.

Monday Q&A: The new bank on the block

It’s no fun to be a banker right now. Businesses are complaining about their loans or credit lines, and the government is getting more and more active in regulation. But an out-of-state bank thinks there is room for another in Richmond. This week, BizSense chats with Hugh Newton, the regional president of M&T Bank.