United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:UBSI) announced on Friday that it entered into a definitive merger agreement under which United would acquire Piedmont Bancorp.  The exchange ratio will be fixed at 0.300 of United’s shares for each share of Piedmont, resulting in an aggregate transaction value of approximately $267 million. The merger will strengthen United’s position in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. “The greater Atlanta area is the perfect addition to UBSI’s footprint, and we look forward to being a part of the vibrant and fast-growing communities there,” said Richard M. Adams Jr., CEO of United Bankshares. The combined organization will have more than $32 billion in assets and

A major European neo-banking start-up company, Bunq BV, is set to expand its footprints in the U.S.   On Tuesday, the company applied for a banking license in the U.S., targeting to serve 5 million European emigrants and businesses in the U.S.  Amid the collapse of Silicon Valley in the U.S. last month, the company is capitalizing on the opportunity to enter the U.S. banking industry with better offers and customized solutions. Bunq focuses on simplifying the banking experience for Europeans in the U.S. by offering better interest rates than traditional banks and catering to Europeans' needs of maintaining deposit insurance limits of up to €100,000. Its customized app offers a free sav

Minutes from the latest FOMC meeting will be released on Wednesday, opening a window into the conversation that led Fed officials to decide on a 0.25% hike on the federal funds rate earlier this month. The Federal Open Market Committee is the body in charge of deciding the federal funds rate, which has a direct impact on interest rates and is the Fed's main tool for correcting the course of inflation. In their last meeting, the FOMC's twelve members decided to dial down the rate of hikes for the second time in a row, to 0.25% after a previous hike of 0.5% which was preceded by four consecutive hikes of 0.75%. The current rate stands between 4.5% and 4.75%. While investors are hoping

CNBC Analysts See Consumer Electronics Get Costlier As Major Chipmakers TSMC, Samsung, Intel Boost Prices Analysts suggested that products relying on semiconductors will likely get more costly as chip foundries prepare to increase their prices, CNBC reports. Global semiconductor lead at Accenture Plc (NYSE:ACN) saw the magnitude of any price increases depending upon the share of semiconductor cost in the overall product cost, the ability of manufacturers to cut costs in other areas, and the competitive landscape of each product category. Products using more advanced chips like GPUs (graphics processing units) and high-end CPUs (central processing units) are likely to go up in price,

Wall Street bankers are urging the U.S. government to postpone the debut of a digital dollar, arguing that a virtual currency backed by the Federal Reserve will drain hundreds of billions of dollars from the banking system, reported Bloomberg. What happened: According to the American Bankers Association and the Bank Policy Institute, an American central bank digital currency, or CBDC, would be a direct rival to private bank deposits, making credit less available to businesses and households.  "As we have evaluated the likely impacts of issuing a CBDC it has become clear that the purported benefits of a CBDC are uncertain and unlikely to be realized, while the costs are real and acute," the

-CNBC's "Fast Money: Halftime Report"

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 138 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date: December 23, 2022 Record Date: December 27, 2022 Payable Date: December 30, 2022 Ticker Exchange Fund Name Frequency Ordinary Income Per Share Amount Long-Term Capital Gain Per Share Amount     ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS       First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III   FCAL Nasdaq First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 129 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date:       September 23, 2022 Record Date:       September 26, 2022 Payable Date:       September 30, 2022 Ticker   Exchange   Fund Name   Frequency     Ordinary Income Per Share Amount   ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS     First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III FCAL   Nasdaq   First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF   Monthly     $0.1000 FEMB

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 135 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations:   Expected Ex-Dividend Date:   June 24, 2022   Record Date:   June 27, 2022   Payable Date:   June 30, 2022 Ticker   Exchange   Fund Name   Frequency   Ordinary Income Per Share Amount   ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS   First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III    FCAL   Nasdaq   First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF   Monthly   $0.0925 FEMB   N

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 120 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date: March 25, 2022 Record Date: March 28, 2022 Payable Date: March 31, 2022 Ticker Exchange Fund Name Frequency Ordinary Income Per Share Amount   ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS   First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III FCAL Nasdaq First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF Monthly $0.0900 FEMB Nasdaq First Trust Emerging Markets

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 133 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date:   December 23, 2021 Record Date:   December 27, 2021 Payable Date:   December 31, 2021 Ticker   Exchange   Fund Name   Frequency   Ordinary Income Per Share Amount   Short-Term Capital Gain Per Share Amount   Long-Term Capital Gain Per Share Amount           ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS                    First Trust Excha

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 122 exchange-traded fund(s) (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date:   September 23, 2021 Record Date:   September 24, 2021 Payable Date:   September 30, 2021 Ticker   Exchange   Fund Name   Frequency   Ordinary Income Per Share Amount ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS   First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III FCAL   Nasdaq   First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF   Monthly   $0.0900 FEMB   Nasdaq  

First Trust Advisors L.P. ("FTA") announces the declaration of distributions for 122 exchange-traded funds (each a "Fund," collectively, the "Funds") advised by FTA. The following dates apply to today's distribution declarations: Expected Ex-Dividend Date:   June 24, 2021 Record Date:   June 25, 2021 Payable Date:   June 30, 2021   Ticker Exchange Fund Name Frequency Ordinary Income Per Share Amount ACTIVELY MANAGED EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS   First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund III FCAL Nasdaq First Trust California Municipal High Income ETF Monthly $0.0950 FEMB Nasdaq First Trust Emerging Markets Local Curren