Florida banks in need of capital or buyers ? slideshow

Bank of Coral Gables is "adequately capitalized".

Capital is a scare commodity for Florida banks and the demand for it could force some into a merger or acquisition.

The print edition feature story for all four Business Journal publications in Florida looked at the market for bank mergers and acquisitions, which many experts predict will pick up. The state has 19 banks with a rating of "zero" from Bauer Financial, including 10 that are "undercapitalized" and their struggles to raise capital could lead to deals.

Federal regulators increased the pressure on some banks this week by agreeing to adopt part of the international capital standards known as Basel III. The required Tier 1 leverage capital ratio to be ?adequately capitalized? will increase from 4 percent now to 6 percent over the next two years. Banks that are below that mark now have to think about raising capital over that time, or they could search for a strong buyer.

Click through the slideshow of Florida banks that could be ripe for a merger given their capital levels.

These banks might be able to remain independent if they can improve their operating performance to generate more capital.

Brian Bandell covers banking, finance, health care and education. Get the latest banking industry news here.

Source: http://feeds.bizjournals.com/~r/bizj_jacksonville/~3/qFLETrrhGMo/florida-banks-in-need-of-capital-or.html

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