This issue of The Bank Shot gives expert insight on the current regulatory environment as well as an update on the M&A marketplace. In “What to Ask Washington,” Larry C. Lavender identifies issues that community bankers should bring up with candidates for federal office. In “A Walk Down Memory Lane…2015 Bank M&A Scorecard,” we review… Read More >
News & Insights
Q3 Birmingham Economic Update in the BBJ
On November 30, 2015, Porter White & Company released a Q3 2015 economic update for Birmingham, Ala. The update highlights state and local statistics, and serves as a precursor to the upcoming full-length Birmingham Area Economic Report. The full report will be published after regional and national statistics are made available. Similar to our Q2… Read More >
Principal Trends and Interest, Q3 2015
This past August Porter White attended the Alabama Bankers Association’s CEO and Directors College in Point Clear, AL. One frequent topic of discussion was the bank merger marketplace. There seemed to be a general consensus that the M&A market was heating up in terms of both number of deals and deal pricing, but there was… Read More >
Economic Update, Q3 2015
This economic update provides a snapshot of the local Birmingham economy, a prequel to our quarterly Birmingham Area Economic Report that will be published once regional and national data is made available. Each data series (number of people employed, retail sales, occupational tax collections, airport enplanements and commercial and industrial electricity sales) is sensitive to… Read More >
The Role of Bonds in a Portfolio
When markets become more volatile, it is a good time to reflect on the role of bonds in a portfolio. While we do not recommend reacting to short-term changes in market movement, we do think it is a good time to examine the characteristics and function of different portions of an investment portfolio. When stock… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report in the BBJ
Recently, Porter, White & Company (PW&Co) published the Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q2 2015. In the report, PW&Co’s Michael Stone summarizes findings related to several key economic indicators including job growth, retail sales and enplanements. Soon after the report was published, two writers at the Birmingham Business Journal explored the findings and crafted insights. In… Read More >
What’s it Worth, Q2 2015
U.S Middle-market private equity activity remained strong in Q2 2015 with elevated multiples holding steady. Deal multiples of 15.0x EBITDA are no longer seen as outliers, prompting data providers to increase their deal parameters to include these transactions. The continued abundance of cheap liquidity will likely keep deal prices elevated for the near term, which… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q2 2015
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. This is the fifth edition of the newly reinstated Porter, White & Company Birmingham Area Economic Report, which is published quarterly. The results in this report are the best of the reports we have published thus far. Click here… Read More >
Shifting Sands in Birmingham’s Banking Scene
Deposit market share data for the U.S. banking system, which provide insight to a given market’s competitive landscape, were released in late September by the FDIC. Such data are released annually by the FDIC as of each June 30th. An examination of metro Birmingham’s banking market demonstrates growth by community banks at the expense of… Read More >
Political Tales of Private Sector Success
During the CNN Republican Debate on September 16, 2015, the top eleven (yes, eleven) hopefuls for the party’s nomination spoke to policy issues, personal achievements, and of course, the shortcomings of others. When the topic shifted to the economy and job creation, Carly Fiorina, in response to criticism from Donald Trump, stated that she “led… Read More >
PW&Co’s Jim White Authors Op-Ed on Uber
On September 1, AL.com published an opinion-editorial authored by Porter White & Company’s Chairman, Jim White. In the piece, Jim discusses the benefits of the service and shares insights gleaned from a conversation with a business executive who visited Birmingham recently. Although several articles have been published about Uber throughout the past year, very few… Read More >
Uber: A Test for Birmingham
The local media have reported that conversations have restarted between the Birmingham City Council and Uber, the ride sharing service that is the prime exemplar of the “sharing economy.” A deal with Uber involving a revised city transportation ordinance would be a good thing, evidence that Birmingham is open to the benefits of free market… Read More >
Birmingham Area Economic Report, Q1 2015
This report explores a few key statistics that paint a picture of the Birmingham area economy. This is the fourth edition of the newly reinstated Porter, White & Company Birmingham Area Economic Report, which is published quarterly. The results in this report are the best of the reports we have published thus far. Click here… Read More >
Principal Trends and Interest, Q2 2015
We are pleased to present “Addressing Activist Shareholders” by Robert Klingler with Bryan Cave LLP. Klingler explores how banks can manage the delicate issue of activist shareholders. In “The Long and Winding Road…First Half 2015 Bank M&A Scorecard,” we review the merger marketplace and look for clues to understand the forces currently affecting bank M&A…. Read More >
Remember the Lost Decade
Five years ago, the financial press was talking about the “lost decade.” The S&P 500 had not earned an investor any money, even when including dividends, for the first decade of this century (ending December 2009). While 2009 saw stocks plummet to a market low on March 9, 2009, they came back significantly by the… Read More >
PW&Co Provides Valuation Opinion for HomeTown Bancorp of Alabama
PW&Co was retained by HomeTown Bancorp of Alabama, Inc. (Oneonta, AL) to provide a valuation opinion to the board of directors. PW&Co provided a third-party, independent valuation after performing due diligence, considering certain scenario analysis, and applying various industry standard valuation techniques using comparable company and transaction data. Michael Stone, CFA, AM worked on this… Read More >
Projecting Long Term Returns
One of our fundamental responsibilities as an investment manager is to build sound investment portfolios. The objective of our portfolios is to meet the fundamental return needs of our clients while taking an acceptable level of risk. Inevitably, this requires that we take a long term perspective on the returns that are available from the… Read More >
What’s it Worth, Q1 2015
This report explores recent valuation trends in the public and private markets, directed to small and middle market business owners and the professionals and financial institutions that serve them. The review is designed to provide realistic guidance on the question “What’s it Worth?,” keeping in mind that proper preparation for real world transactions requires analysis… Read More >
