Alan Kline

Battered by loan troubles, Princeton National Bancorp Inc. Illinois announced after markets closed Friday that it lost $2.9 million, or 88 cents per share, in the quarter that ended June 30.

West Coast Bancorp in Lake Oswego, Ore., reported a profit of $4.6 million in the second quarter, a vast improvement over the same period last year, but a bit of a letdown when compared with this year's first quarter.

In its second full quarter as a 100% stock-owned company, Capitol Federal Financial Inc. in Topeka reported earnings of $17.3 million, an increase of 11% over the same period in 2010.

Fueled by strong loan growth and improved expense control, Investors Bancorp Inc. in Short Hills, N.J., reported a profit of $19.6 million in the second quarter, up 28% from the same period last year.

Porter Bancorp Inc. in Lousville, Ky., reported a loss of $39 million in the second quarter after it wrote off scores of problem loans and took a hefty impairment charge to reflect its declining market value.

Buoyed by improving asset quality, National Penn Bancshares reported earnings of $23.3 million in the second quarter, compared to a loss of $5.5 million in the same period last year.

Cascade Bancorp in Bend, Ore., announced this week that President and Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Moss has notified its board that she intends to retire in July of next year.

Bolstered by its acquisitions of two failed banks, Columbia Banking System Inc. in Tacoma, Wash., said Thursday that it earned $8.6 million in the second-quarter, an increase of 119% from the same period last year.

Aided by growth in its residential mortgage portfolio, Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., reported a profit of $36.9 million in the second quarter, up 12% from the same period last year.

Tennessee Commerce Bancorp has come up with a novel solution for settling a past-due loan made to another bank holding company: forgive the loan and take control of the borrower's two subsidiary banks.

United Community Banks Inc. is finally back in the black after it unloaded scores of problem assets and raised $380 million of fresh capital.

Lower overhead costs and a sharply reduced provision for loan losses helped Synovus Financial Corp. of Columbus, Ga., narrow its loss for the fifth consecutive quarter.

Trustmark Corp. in Jackson, Miss., said Tuesday that its second-quarter earnings jumped 21% from the same period last year, to $31.6 million.

PrivateBancorp Inc. reported its fourth-straight quarterly profit Tuesday, but weak loan growth and declining revenue have raised questions about whether the Chicago company can maintain the momentum.

In what would be its first open-bank acquisition in five years, Wintrust Financial Corp. in Lake Forest, Ill., announced Tuesday that it is acquiring Elgin State Bancorp Inc. in Elgin, Ill., for $13.8 million in cash and stock.

Yadkin Valley Bank and Trust Co. in Elkin, N.C., has exited the wholesale mortgage business in order to better focus on retail mortgage lending.

Aided by strong loan and deposit growth, Signature Bank in New York reported a record-setting $36.6 million profit in the second quarter, up 64.4% from the same period in 2010.

USAmeriBancorp Inc. in Clearwater, Fla., is planning to acquire the remaining stake in an Alabama bank that it does not already own.

Santa Clara Valley Bank in Santa Paula, Calif., announced Friday that its president and chief executive, Michael D. Hause has resigned to return to a career in agribusiness.

With loan demand still weak in many areas of the country, more and more bankers are starting to believe that their banks will need to merge with other institutions to achieve meaningful growth.