Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) has acquired two relatively small banks in the fourth quarter of 2019 that have given the company's earning assets a boost. Going forward, organic growth is expected to help drive loans this year, thereby leading to an increase in net interest income, which in turn will support net income. However, a rise in operating expenses due to WTFC's expansionary efforts are likely to negate the effect of loan growth on the bottom-line. Consequently, I'm expecting WTFC's earnings per share to decline slightly in 2020 compared to 2019. My valuation