US stocks stalled on Monday, as Wall Street headed into a pivotal week dominated by the Federal Reserve's final policy meeting of 2025. The S&P 500 (^GSPC) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) dipped 0.2%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) slipped below the flat line. The laggard start to the trading week comes on the heels of closing gains for stocks Friday. Markets are on the lookout for risks to almost-total confidence that the Fed will cut interest rates at its two-day policy meet ...

Welcome back to Market on Close. I'm Marley Caden here in Chicago alongside Sam Botis at the New York Stock Exchange. We'll close out our show today with our final thoughts on the session.For me, I'm stuck with this Warner Brothers story. I can't get off of it. The bidding process for the Warner Brothers Discovery is heating up as more details about the internal process are being reported.Netflix now the lead suitor according to CNBC, but Netflix only wants the streaming and the studio assets, not WBD's mas ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - West Bancorporation reported a 16% earnings increase over the prior quarter and a 55% increase compared to the third quarter of the previous year [5] - Net income for the third quarter was $9.3 million, up from $8 million in the previous quarter and $6 million in the same quarter last year [17] - The net interest margin improved by nine basis points compared to the previous quarter, with loan yield increasing to 5.66% from 5.59% in the second quarter [17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Loan outstandings were slightly up at just over $3 billion, with a $43 million increase in the third quarter [9][16] - Core deposit balances decreased by approximately $82 million in the third quarter, attributed to normal cash flow fluctuations [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Minnesota banking segment is experiencing a slowdown among manufacturing clients due to economic uncertainty, but there are new business opportunities arising from M&A activity in the region [11][12] - The company is focusing on deposit-rich business banking opportunities and has successfully attracted new deposits from high-earning individuals [12][14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company remains committed to maintaining strong credit quality and underwriting disciplines, with no significant problem loans reported [7][8] - There is a focus on organic growth and taking advantage of good loan opportunities, with no specific plans for capital deployment at this time [31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in maintaining a solid loan growth pace, despite being more selective in credit opportunities [23] - The company anticipates favorable conditions from future Fed rate cuts, which will help improve margins [5] Other Important Information - The Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, payable on November 19, 2025 [6] - The effective tax rate for the quarter was around 19%, lower than previous quarters due to a change in estimate on an energy-related investment tax credit [18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on loan growth pipeline and market share in Minnesota - Management indicated that the pipeline is good but not as robust as in the past due to selectivity in credit opportunities, expecting mid-single-digit growth going forward [22][23] Question: Funding growth outlook with deposit gathering - The objective is to fund growth through cash flows from the investment portfolio and deposit gathering, with potential short-term reliance on wholesale funding [24] Question: Margin tailwinds and deposit beta assumptions - There are still significant repricing opportunities in the loan portfolio, but deposit betas may not be as aggressive as in the past due to competitive pressures [25][27] Question: Medium-term assessment of Minnesota growth venture - Management expressed confidence that the Minnesota venture has exceeded expectations and is contributing positively to the bottom line [35]