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Two Bankmark Clients Capitalize in under Twelve Weeks     Bankmark would like to congratulate two if its de novo bank clients, Choice Bank (In Organization) from Oshkosh, WI, and Towne Center Bank (In Organization) from Frankfort, IL, who have raised their minimum capital in nine and 11 weeks, respectively, with Choice Bank (IO) exceeding the State record with the most amount of capital raised for a de novo bank.   View Complete Article

Choice Bank Completes Investment Period     Choice Bank President Keith Pollnow said the bank reached its maximum investment offering of $18 million on May 31, but oversubscribed investors by $3.6 million.   View Complete Article

A Closer Look At Bank Stocks     Although there are well over 800 publicly traded U.S. banks, many investors shy away from this sector. The reported financial statements look funny, and the results don't neatly fit into the handy-dandy screens and formulae that many investors like to use. That's a shame, because as Warren Buffett has shown in the past, well-chosen bank stocks can be as lucrative as industrial, health-care, or technology stocks.   View Complete Article

Community Bank Investment Expert Joins BankIPO.com     James R. Miller, an industry recognized securities analyst and appraiser, joined California-based BankIPO.com recently to provide his services as an analyst, market maker and portfolio strategist to de novos and their shareholders. The addition of Mr. Miller to BankIPO.com will help de novos enhance their competitive and capital position, giving them the edge they need in the rapidly changing investment market.   View Complete Article

Welcome to de novo country, where capital is king     Based on growing initial capital positions, aided in large part by a renaissance in investor interest, the startup bank phenomenon clearly continues to build momentum. And capital is the true measuring stick for the de novo bank phenomenon, according to Dan Hudson, CEO of San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based BankMark, a consulting company that focuses specifically on starting new banks.   View Complete Article

Fresh Ideas for Retiring Rich: Invest Creatively     A small but growing number are turning to self-directed IRAs -- accounts with third-party custodians that allow them to diversify their retirement savings beyond the typical mutual fund menu into investments such as real estate and community bank stocks.   View Complete Article

BankIPO Client Receives Permission To Capitalize     Patriot Federal Bank (In Organization), has received permission to commence its Capital Offering from the Office of Thrift Supervision.   View Complete Article

Public offering for new bank raises $16.8 million     A public stock offering to raise money for a new Dallas bank has raised $16.8 million -- the maximum amount organizers could accept.   View Complete Article

Small-Cap Banks: Industry Overview     In this report from Lehman Brothers we examine the addition of new branches in our bank coverage universe and attempt to determine the breakdown of de novo verses acquisition branch growth.   Download Complete Article in PDF format

Bank Mergers Are Raining Down     From Forbes.com NEW YORK - The thunderous clap of mega-bank mergers has turned into a steady downpour. In just the first seven weeks of 2004, according to SNL Financial, U.S. financial institutions have announced 33 deals for $77 billion, compared to 231 deals worth $72 billion for all of 2003.   View Complete Article

Capital: The Mother's Milk of Banking     Maximize shareholder value! This is the battle cry being sounded in the lobbies and boardrooms of banks everywhere. This is understandable due to the importance placed upon earnings by existing and potential shareholders, as well as banking regulators.   View Complete Article

Can Start-Up Banks Become an Investment Niche?     When his small Dallas bank was sold to Houston's Sterling Bank last year, Patrick Adams never dreamed that the next step in his career would be to start a bank.   View Complete Article

Big Banks Show Signals Of Interest in Acquisitions     After two years of hunkering down . . . Now that the dust has settled on 2002, it's clear that the small banks beat the big banks in terms of stock performance. By Mitchell Pacelle, Carrick Mollenkamp and Jathon Sapsford   View Complete Article

Little Banks Surpass Big Banks on Wall Street     Now that the dust has settled on 2002, it's clear that the small banks beat the big banks in terms of stock performance. From the Baltimore Business Journal   View Complete Article

Learning More About Bank Stocks     Bank stocks can be quite an asset to both individual and investment club portfolios. Although the banking industry is seldom in the spotlight when the subject of growth stock investing comes up, that is not true when the subject turns to total return. Bank stocks have performed well, both in terms of dividend growth and stock price appreciation. Here are a few suggestions on how to learn more about them using NAIC's Stock Selection Guide. Reprinted from the February 1994 Better Investing®   View Complete Article

A Common Sense Approach to Analyzing Bank Stocks     Analyzing bank stocks is a little different from analyzing the typical company, however, it is not as difficult as you may think. With a little research and study one can take the mystery out of bank stock analysis and begin to see them as very similar to other stocks By Connie Greenberg, Rebecca Fewell & Jane Chattergee   View Complete Article

Ryan Beck Deposits More Than $30 Million in Select Financial Services Portfolios     Ryan Beck & Co., Inc. has announced the launch of two proprietary unit investment trust portfolios and the deposit of more than $30 million in assets. Livingston, N.J., May 9 /PR Newswire-FirstCall   View Complete Article

Barron's on Bankmark: Vaulting Ambition     San Diego Urologist James Knight once considered medical school his most difficult challenge. But that was before he joined a group of investors in November 1999 to organize 1st Pacific Bank, a community bank in his hometown that now boasts $102.6 million in assets. By Jim McTague   View Complete Article

Successful Community Bank Investing     Recent stock market activity, current industry trends, and ongoing professional experiences are the catalysts for this piece. The following discussion outlines some of the attitudes and practices I have observed in successful small bank investors and the potential opportunities that may now be evolving. By James R. Miller   View Complete Article

Managing Market Liquidity for an Institution's Stock     The question of shareholder relations in general, and market liquidity in particular, presents an increasingly important strategic issue to financial institution management. By David F. Scranton   View Complete Article

Evaluating Community Banks     There is a predictability to the ebb and flow of community bank activity in the United States. Every seven to ten years, since the end of World War II, we have witnessed a resurgence in new bank applications submitted, and charters granted. This is usually followed by a period during which mergers and acquisitions have taken their toll. By by James R. Miller   View Complete Article

Strategies: When a Community Bank Needs an Investment Bank     Sooner or later, every community bank requires the assistance of an investment banker - to raise capital by selling common, preferred or trust-preferred stock; to conduct a depositor subscription offering in connection with a conversion from mutual to stock form; to sell branches, loan portfolios or other parts of the franchise as part of a strategic balance sheet reconfiguration; to identify, price and woo an attractive acquisition target; to help fend off a hostile acquirer; or, perhaps, to price and sell the institution itself. By Timothy B. Bancroft and Kevin J. Handly   View Complete Article