International Business News - RF http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif Morgan Keegan analyst Robert Patten on Tuesday upgraded the shares of a handful of regional banks, based on the view that the federal government's plan to buy shares in banks will significantly boost the ailing financial sector. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081014/ahead-of-the-bell-analysts-upgrade-regional-banks.htm Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:25:56 EDT Shares of regional banks were trading mixed Monday as questions remained about the impact the $700 billion rescue plan would have on them. KeyCorp shares rose 46 cents, or 6.9 percent, to $7.26 and National City Corp.'s stock climbed 29 cents, or 15 percent, to $2.29. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081013/regional-bank-shares-mixed-amid-uncertainty.htm Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:21:41 EDT Bank stocks were mixed Friday, as investors weighed a number of potential government initiatives to help free up lending and stabilize the economy. After rallying early in the session, some financial stocks pulled back. The swings in prices reflected those in the broader market, though not as severely. Frozen credit markets and a loss of confidence in the world's financial system have caused the Dow Jones industrial average to drop 21 percent in just 10 trading days, and Friday afternoon it was down 300 points at 8,298. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081010/sector-snap-bank-stocks-fluctuate.htm Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:00:36 EDT Regions Financial Corp. said Thursday it lowered its prime lending rate to 4.5 percent from 5 percent. The cut in the prime rate matches the 0.5 percent rate cut the Federal Reserve Board announced Wednesday. The prime rate usually moves in lockstep with the fed funds rate, which is now 1.5 percent. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081009/regions-financial-cuts-prime-rate-to-4-5-percent.htm Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:18:10 EDT Investors are not fully factoring in losses tied to commercial loans at regional banks, a Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. analyst said Thursday. Losses tied to commercial loans are likely to rise in the coming quarters, analyst James Abbott wrote. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081009/ahead-of-the-bell-regional-banks.htm Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:36:49 EDT Shares of regional banks mostly fell Wednesday afternoon despite the Federal Reserve Board slashing a key interest rate in a coordinated global effort to improve liquidity in the credit markets. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081008/sector-snap-regional-banks-fall.htm Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:59:47 EDT Shares of financial services firms mostly rose in premarket trading Wednesday after the Federal Reserve Board cut a key interest rate to 1.5 percent from 2 percent in an effort to help spur a sputtering economy. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081008/ahead-of-the-bell-financial-cos-mostly-rise.htm Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:57:00 EDT Bank shares tumbled Tuesday on fears that worse-than-expected third-quarter results by industry bellwether Bank of America Corp. may indicate how others in the sector will fare when they report earnings in coming weeks. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081007/bank-of-americas-3q-results-rattle-investors.htm Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:18:41 EDT Shares of nearly all regional banks fell in late morning trading Tuesday amid continued concern in the credit markets and as banking bellwether Bank of America Corp. reported a further rise in charge-offs during the third quarter. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081007/sector-snap-regional-banks.htm Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:43:42 EDT Shares in regional banks rose sharply Friday after Congress approved a plan that would see the federal government buy up bad debt from the troubled lenders. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081003/regional-banks-surge-after-bailout-vote.htm Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:46:41 EDT Shares of regional banks surged Wednesday, bucking declines in the broader market, as investors remained hopeful that a revived $700 billion financial rescue plan will help boost ailing financial firms. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081001/sector-snap-regional-bank-stocks-soar.htm Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:03:18 EDT Shares of Regions Financial Corp. jumped Wednesday, along with other financial stocks, ahead of a crucial vote on a sweetened financial rescue package. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081001/regions-financial-shares-rise-on-hope-for-bailout.htm Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:52:24 EDT Shares of regional banks soared Tuesday as investors flooded the market in search of bargains, following one of the biggest selloffs in years the day before. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080930/sector-snap-shares-of-regional-banks-soar.htm Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:11:26 EDT Shares of regional banks fell sharply Friday after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. seized WaMu, one of the nation's largest banks, and markets remained tense as the government's $700 billion bailout plan hit a serious roadblock. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080926/sector-snap-regional-bank-stocks-tumble.htm Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:53:16 EDT RF Micro Devices Inc. said it will supply semiconductor components for more than 10 new Samsung 3G handsets. RF Micro Devices, based in Greensboro, N.C., said it expects volume shipments to Samsung to begin in December of this year and accelerate next year. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080925/rf-micro-devices-to-supply-components-to-samsung.htm Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:23:30 EDT Shares of regional banks lacked direction Wednesday as news of Goldman Sachs' successful capital raising efforts was not enough to quell anxiety among investors awaiting details of the government's bank rescue plan. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080924/sector-snap-regional-bank-stocks-lack-direction.htm Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:42:11 EDT AmSouth Bank and AmSouth Asset Management are paying $11.4 million in a settlement with federal regulators who accused the mutual fund advisers of secretly using part of the fees paid by shareholders for an executive's country club membership and other expenses. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080923/amsouth-paying-11-4m-in-sec-settlement.htm Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:28:33 EDT Among the premarket activity stories for Tuesday, Sept. 23, from AP Financial News: NEW YORK (AP)--Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Meredith Whitney on Tuesday cut her profit estimates on JPMorgan Chase & Co., due to deteriorating credit trends and third-quarter charges. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080923/premarket-roundup-jpmorgan-adobe.htm Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:19:23 EDT An analyst on Tuesday cut his rating for Regions Financial Corp., saying the stock's recent price appreciation now makes it overvalued compared to its fundamentals. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080923/ahead-of-the-bell-regions-financial-downgraded.htm Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:18:40 EDT Shares of most regional banks plunged in early trading Monday, as Wall Street questioned whether the government's plan to buy $700 billion in banks' bad mortgage debt will be a panacea to the industry's problems. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080922/sector-snap-regional-bank-shares-plummet.htm Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:09:08 EDT