Alan Kline

First California Financial Group's decision to turn down a buyout offer from PacWest Bancorp (PACW) has angered at least one of the company's largest shareholders.

Many banks reported strong loan production in the first quarter, but most bankers acknowledged that overall loan demand remains tepid and that the activity is largely a result of stealing business from rival banks.

Elizabeth Acton, the former chief financial officer at Comerica (CMA), has been elected to the Board of Directors at homebuilder Beazer Homes USA (BZH).

Encore Bancshares (EBTX) in Houston announced Thursday that its shareholders have approved its pending sale to Cadence Bancorp.

I've never been able to square bankers' constant demands for less regulation with their repeated requests for more government backing on loans, deposits and insurance.

Meta Financial Group (CASH) in Storm Lake, Iowa, announced Thursday that it has raised $13.2 million in three separate private placements and that the proceeds would be used to beef up its capital reserves and fund growth at both its retail bank and payments unit.

Clifton Savings Bancorp (CSBK) in New Jersey said Wednesday that it is making a concerted effort to increase its lending in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods so that it can improve its Community Reinvestment Act rating and follow through with its plan to become a 100% stock-owned company.

Already a leading provider of banking services to homeowners' associations on the West Coast, Union Bank in San Francisco has struck a deal to take the niche business nationwide.

First National Corporation in Strasburg, Va., is planning to raise up to $11.8 million in a rights offering and intends to use the proceeds to bolster its capital levels, invest in its expansion and perhaps buy back preferred shares issued under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Enterprise Financial Services (EFSC) in St. Louis is aiming to repay at least part of the $35 million it received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program by the end of this year.

The American Bankers Association and its insurance subsidiary are urging lawmakers to immediately reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, arguing that a failure to do so would only place further stress on the nation's housing sector.

PacWest Bancorp (PACW) in Los Angeles is dead serious about expanding its California footprint through acquisitions.

Webster Financial (WBS) in Waterbury, Conn., has established a new Treasury Services division and brought in former SunTrust Banks (STT) executive Philip C. Picillo to run it.

Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) is streamlining its number of checking and savings products in an effort to win a larger share of customers' wallets.

The pace of small-business lending slowed in April as demand from borrowers weakened and lenders of all sizes approved fewer loans.

Two Maryland banking companies that announced plans to merge last month need a little more time to work out the specifics of their deal.

Top executives at Bank Mutual (BKMU) in Milwaukee told investors Monday that the company is eyeing acquisitions of banks and other financial services firms in its quest to become a “much larger company” in the next few years.

Old Line Bancshares (OLBK) in Bowie, Md., said Monday that its first-quarter earnings climbed 236% from the same period last year, to $1.8 million, thanks largely to an acquisition last year that roughly doubled its size.

Members of HarborOne Credit Union in Brockton, Mass., would not be better served by the credit union's plan to convert to a savings bank, according the nation's top credit union regulator.

Suffolk Bancorp (SUBK) swung to a profit in the first quarter as the Riverhead, N.Y., company continued to shed the problem assets that dogged it for much of 2011.