Florida banks’ health improves

Ratings firm finds just 6.6% ‘troubled’

Florida banks continue to show signs of improvement after a crippling recession, according to the second quarter ratings released this week by Bauer Financial.

Coral Gables-based Bauer, a highly respected ratings firm, gave 75.5 percent of banks in Florida a “recommended” rating during the quarter, up from 66.5 percent during the same time last year. In that time, the share of “troubled and problematic” banks dropped to 6.6 percent from 9.6 percent at the end of June 2015.

In Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dadecounties, 32banks got the highest, five-star rating.

Five-star banks in Palm Beach County were Bank of Belle Glade; First Bank of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach; Flagler Bank, West Palm Beach; Mackinac Savings Bank, Boynton Beach; Palm Beach Community Bank, West Palm Beach; and Paradise Bank, Boca Raton.

In Broward: American National Bank, Oakland Park; Desjardins Bank, Hallandale Beach; Florida Community Bank, Weston; Natbank, Hollywood; and Stonegate Bank, Pompano Beach.

In Miami-Dade: Apollo Bank, Miami; BAC Florida Bank, Coral Gables; Banco Do Brasil Americas, Miami; BanescoUSA, Coral Gables; BankUnited, Miami Lakes; Biscayne Bank, Coconut Grove; City National Bank of Florida, Miami; Coconut Grove Bank, Miami; Continental National Bank, Miami; EasternNationalBank, Miami; Executive National Bank, Miami; First National Bank of South Miami; Helm Bank USA, Miami; Intercontinental Bank, West Miami; Marquis Bank, Coral Gables; Mercantil Commercebank, Coral Gables; Pacific National Bank, Miami; Professional Bank, Coral Gables; Sabadell United Bank, Miami; Terrabank, Miami; andTotalBank, Miami.

Three banks earned a two-star rating, considered “problematic” by Bauer: Brickell Bank, Miami; Home FederalBankofHollywood, Hallandale Beach; and Optimum Bank, Plantation.