These three middle-class firms are fighting their way to the top
This is turning out to be a tough time for some of the region’s biggest names in fashion, fast food and financial services.
First California hires KBW to test waters for sale
In a move that could foreshadow the sale of the company, Westlake Village-based First California Financial Group has hired an outside investment bank and a law firm to undertake a “strategic review” of the company’s business plan and options. But it is not clear whether the hiring of advisers signals a deal in the works Read More →
First California rejects PacWest takeover bid
Westlake Village-based First California Financial Group has spurned an unsolicited takeover offer from Los Angeles-based PacWest Bancorp. First California, a $2 billion bank whose profits dropped drastically in the first quarter, is under pressure from three major shareholders to sell itself and has hired an investment banking firm to help evaluate its options. The company Read More →
FCAL profits drop 83%
First California Financial Group’s first-quarter profits plummeted 83.3 percent to $2.6 million, it reported on April 26. Per share, earnings were 8 cents, compared to 54 cents in the same quarter a year earlier. The Westlake Village-based parent of First California Bank said last year’s first-quarter results included a one-time $34.7 million pre-tax gain related Read More →
Bank taps fund to pay TARP
First California Bank is repaying the $25 million in federal aid it took from the Treasury with a new federal aid program.
Area banks hiring
After posting mostly solid first-quarter earnings, banks in the region are scouting for resumes again. Three of the largest firms in the region are looking to fill more than 300 open positions among them.
