M&T Bank Corporation’s (MTB) has reported third quarter earnings of 97 cents per share. Excluding a series of special items in the quarter, the company earned 89 cents per share. The results were well ahead of the Zacks Consensus estimate of 68 cents. The company had earned 82 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. While acquisitions and improvements in interest margin have contributed to the upside, we note that the credit quality still remains a matter of concern. Taxable-equivalent net interest income totaled $553 million, up 12% year-over-year. Results reflected improvements in the net interest margin. Net interest margin improved 22 basis points year-over-year to 3.61%, which resulted from lower interest rates paid on deposits and long-term borrowings. Results also included impact of the earning assets obtained in the Provident transaction. Loans and leases, net of unearned discount, were $52.2 billion at Sept. 30, ...

Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #5 Rank ("strong sell") List today:

Acergy SA (ACGY) Adobe Systems Inc (ADBE) Belden Inc (BDC) Black Hills Corp (BKH) Cousins Properties Inc (CUZ) CryptoLogic Ltd (CRYP) Delphi Financial Group Inc (DFG) Eastman Chemical Co (EMN) Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Nort (OMAB) Harbin Electric Inc (HRBN) Kimco Realty Corp (KIM) M&T Bank Corp (MTB) Main Street Capital Corp (MAIN) Patni Computer Systems Ltd (PTI) Porter Bancorp Inc (PBIB) RPM International Inc (RPM) Ryder System Inc (R) Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) Whiting USA Trust I (WHX) Yingli Green Energy Holding Co Ltd (YGE) View the entire Zacks #5 Rank List.

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Here are the stocks added to the Zacks #5 Rank ("strong sell") List today:

Acergy SA (ACGY) Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY) Allegheny Energy Inc (AYE) Axis Capital Holdings Ltd (AXS) BG Group Plc (BRGYY) Camden Property Trust (CPT) CBL & Associates Properties Inc (CBL) Columbus McKinnon Corp (CMCO) Consolidated Graphics Inc (CGX) Cytec Industries Inc (CYT) Dawson Geophysical Co (DWSN) Delphi Financial Group Inc (DFG) El Paso Corp (EP) Equinix Inc (EQIX) Frontline Ltd (FRO) Gamco Investors Inc (GBL) Illinois Tool Works Inc (ITW) Lindsay Corp (LNN) Loews Corp (L) M&T Bank Corp (MTB) Mercury General Corp (MCY) Old Point Financial Corp (OPOF) Parker-Hannifin Corp (PH) Partner Communications Company Ltd (PTNR) Signet Jewelers Ltd (SIG) Superior Energy Services Inc (SPN) Urban Outfitters Inc ...

NetScout Systems, Inc. (

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The Treasury’s plan to inject $250 billion in capital directly into US banks is underway. But William Patalon III says some of these taxpayer funds will be used by big banks to acquire junior competitors. This means the increase in lending that the plan is supposed to spark will be modest at best. And less competition in the banking sector could mean a rise in fees going forward.

This from Money Morning:

While the U.S. government’s plan to invest $250 billion into U.S. financial institutions has been billed as a strategy that will bolster the health of the banking system and also jump-start lending, the recapitalization plan is likely to have a secondary effect – one that whipsawed U.S. taxpayers likely won’t be very happy to learn about.

Those billions are a virtual lock to set off a merger tsunami in which the biggest banks use taxpayer money to get bigger

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While the U.S. government’s plan to invest $250 billion into U.S. financial institutions has been billed as a strategy that will bolster the health of the banking system and also jump-start lending, the recapitalization plan is likely to have a secondary effect – one that whipsawed U.S. taxpayers likely won’t be very happy to learn about. Those billions are a virtual lock to set off a merger tsunami in which the biggest banks use taxpayer money to get bigger – admittedly removing the smaller, weaker banks from the market, but ultimately also reducing the competition that benefited consumers and kept the explosion in banking fees from being far worse than it already is. One last point: Experts say that takeovers financed by the government infusions are likely to have less of a beneficial impact on the economy than an actual increase in ...