Southeast & Midwestern Banks

January 31, 2014

Buy ($175)

Topics covered: Regulatory Outlook Gains Clarity, Investing in Regional Banks, Interest Rates and Loan-Growth Strategies, Increased Lending Opportunities, Heightened M&A Activity, Heightened Banking Competition, Consolidation in Regional Banking, Benefits from Higher Interest Rates

Companies covered: TCF Financial Corporation (NYSE:TCF), First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE:FHN), First Defiance Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:FDEF), Zions Bancorporation (NASDAQ:ZION), Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (NASDAQ:HBAN), FirstMerit Corporation (NASDAQ:FMER), Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB), City National Corporation (NYSE:CYN), BB&T Corporation (NYSE:BBT), BNC Bancorp (NASDAQ:BNCN), Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB), SCBT Financial Corp., PacWest Bancorp (NASDAQ:PACW), Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:CZWI), BOK Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:BOKF), Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:UMPQ), Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:TCBI), Sterling Financial Corp., Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH), First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIN), Comerica Incorporated (NYSE:CMA), Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (NYSE:CFR), Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)