67 WALL STREET,licey vs aguilas time New York - January 3, 2014 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Banks Report offering a timely review of the sector to serious investors and industry executives. This special feature contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs and Equity Analysts.

The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via

The Wall Street Transcript Online

.

Topics covered:

Interest Rates and Loan-Growth Strategies - Regulatory Outlook Gains Clarity - Regulatory Obstacles and Fee Income Replacement - Rise of Commercial and Industrial Lending - Pockets of Growth in Northeastern Banking - Annualized Loan Growth Acceleration - Prolonged Interest Rate Environment Challenges - Midcap Market Share Gains

Companies include:

Customers Bancorp, Inc. (CUBI) and many more.

In the following excerpt from the

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Banks Report

, the Chairman and CEO of Customers Bancorp, Inc. (CUBI) discusses company strategy and the outlook for this vital industry:

TWST: What does Customers Bank look like today by the numbers?

Mr. Sidhu:

From 2009 through 2010, we focused on fixing the credit problems of the company as well as developing a differentiated and sustainable growth strategy. Our model was built on being well-capitalized, extremely strong in risk management, and attracting and retaining world-class talent and providing excellent customer service. We started executing that and have demonstrated so far more than above-average organic growth in loans and deposits.

We did two small FDIC-assisted deals of failed banks. One was USA Bank in Upstate New York, or really Hudson Valley, New York, and the second one was a small Internet bank called ISN Bank in New Jersey, but they were combined about $200 million in assets. Then we acquired a small bank in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 2011, which was less than $100 million in assets. So combined acquisitions were about $300 million in assets, and we have earned very attractive returns on these opportunistic acquisitions.

But that $250 million New Century Bank is today a $4 billion asset bank. In 2011, we changed the name to Customers Bank from New Century Bank, because New Century Bank was associated with a failed financial institution. This $4 billion asset bank today has a footprint from Boston to Washington. We have offices in Boston, Providence, Manhattan, and of course in Greater Philadelphia and in southeastern Pennsylvania.

TWST: Is that the sort of idea, the region, where you want to keep a footprint? Is it going to stretch out any further than that, any further west toward Chicago, any further south?

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via

The Wall Street Transcript Online

.

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