RJ and Makay

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On the 10^th anniversary of American Banker magazine’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking  program, the publication is inviting applications for its 2012 rankings.  The three main categories are: 1) 25 Most Powerful Woman in Banking, 2) 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance and 3) 25 Women to Watch. In its banking and finance rankings for 2011, Karen Peetz, vice chairman of BNY Mellon, claimed the number one position in the Most Powerful Women in Banking category.

SNL Financial’s quarterly release of the 50 biggest banks and thrifts in the U.S. by assets revealed just what a takeover can do with to a bank ranking. First Niagara Financial Group’s acquisition of NewAlliance Bancshares, Inc., worth $1.15  billion, propelled the regional bank up from number 46 to number 38 among the largest 50. First Niagara’s acquisition of NewAlliance will increase its balance sheet by 42%, plus expands its presence into Connecticut and Massachusetts.  Currently, First Niagara Financial serves upstate New York and western and eastern Pennsylvania. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2011.