Alan Kline

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.

Analysts at Sandler O'Neill & Partners have raised earnings estimates for City National Corp. after the Los Angeles company reported strong second-quarter earnings growth that was aided by improved asset quality and "promising" gains in its commercial-and-industrial loan portfolio.

Aided by improved credit quality and strong loan and deposit growth, Prosperity Bancshares Inc. in Houston reported earnings of $35.1 million in the second quarter, up 10.5% from the same quarter in 2010.

Simmons First National Corp. in Pine Bluff, Ark., said Thursday that core earnings in the second quarter declined 4.6% from the same period last year, to $6.2 million.

VIST Financial Corp. in Wyomissing, Pa., notified investors Thursday that it is planning to raise up to $30 million in a stock offering.

A couple adjustments to the lineup card at Comerica Inc. … The Dallas bank on Monday named Robert A. Dye its chief economist. He succeed Dana Johnson, who recently retired after serving in the job since 2005.

Shares of Astoria Financial Corp. were down in heavy trading Thursday after the Lake Success, N.Y., company reported second-quarter earnings that fell well short of analysts' estimates.

Banks are moving closer to getting the threshold raised for SEC stock registration.

New York Community Bancorp said Thursday that its second-quarter earnings fell 9% from the same period last year, to $119.5 million, as a surge of originations in multi-family loans could not offset a sharp decline in mortgage income.

Improved asset quality and upticks in its commercial and mortgage lending helped Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Chicago narrow its loss in the second quarter.

Northern Trust Corp. in Chicago has promoted Chief Financial Officer William L. Morrison to president and chief operating officer and has hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch veteran Michael G. O'Grady to be the new CFO.