Holding multiple face-to-face meetings with executives from MB Financial helped Fifth Third land the Chicago company for a lower price than another suitor offered.
Cost-cutting will be important, but for its acquisition of CoBiz to be a winner, BOK Financial will have to prove it can boost fee income as it has with smaller acquisitions.
The high multiple Fifth Third is paying for MB Financial raises questions about whether it can cut enough costs, realize enough growth and win over skeptical investors.
