Today's earnings once again demonstrate the same operating trends as recent reports. Both asset quality (lack of bad loans) and net interest margin actually *improved*, the opposite of the vast majority of banks right now. And now First Midwest also has meaningful loan portfolio growth as well.

Banks of course are currently out of favor in the stock market. There's a good side to this: The takeover premium in the stock is basically knocked out. First Midwest was actually cited as a competitive threat in the market along with much larger names in the "Canadian" story currently teed up in the headlines. That's quite impressive, though it also means the market is taking seriously FMBI's determination to stay on offense rather than cower in the corner and say "buy me" to other banks. If you understand the dynamics of bank stock investing, that's good because it means you get to buy without an artificial premium when the truth is that no one knows when any given bank will be taken over or not.

I really cannot pound the table any harder for this stock. Strong Buy. Best to current and prospective FMBI shareholders.