Every quarter for the past several years, Ken Vecchione printed out a spreadsheet comparing the growth of the bank he runs, Western Alliance, with its three principal competitors: First Republic, Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank. And each time, Vecchione was annoyed because the analysis would show that Western Alliance’s loans and deposits were growing similarly to the others — its total assets tripled in five years — but its stock price wasn’t soaring as high. “We were, I have to admit, a
Rock-bottom stock prices at midsize banks are fueling concerns that depositors could get spooked, and short sellers are drawing much of the blame. But their persistence may be exposing a broader lack of confidence in the industry.