Kristin Broughton

BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Fla., reported a drop in quarterly profits, as low yields weighed down the company's growing loan book and it faced some growth-related costs.

New, experimental consumer marketing programs have played a significant role in the way technology has upended the payment business in recent years. And Visa is looking to get in on the action.

Digital payments company ACI Worldwide has begun offering bill pay services on ATMs and kiosks sold by LD Systems.

Western Union has expanded its retail presence in Europe through a partnership with the international remittance service UAE Exchange.

M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y., reported a higher quarterly profit as lower expenses offset tighter margins.

Associated Banc-Corp in Green Bay, Wis., has agreed to buy Ahmann & Martin, a benefits consulting firm in Edina, Minn.

Sunflower Financial in Salina, Kan., has canceled its planned purchase of First Western Financial in Denver. The $1.7 billion-asset Sunflower had agreed in September to buy the $688 million-asset First Financial.

PrivateBancorp in Chicago reported higher quarterly profit as strong loan growth offset lower yields.

Mobile payments provider Spindle signed an agreement with Transaction Data USA, a payments industry consulting firm, to expand the sale of its products to merchants.

Westamerica Bancorp. in San Rafael, Calif., reported lower quarterly results as lower yields and a smaller loan book dragged down profit.

Wirecard, the German payments company, has introduced a wearable wristband for contactless transactions.

SunTrust Banks has provided a $1 million grant to the nonprofit group Operation Hope to expand financial counseling services for low-income consumers at banks across the country.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and Sandler O'Neill & Partners commanded the market for bank M&A advisory in 2014, according to data published Wednesday by SNL Financial.

Western Union has begun offering a service that allows U.S. residents to send money to Mexican bank accounts.

JPMorgan Chase has named Jennifer Piepszak as the chief executive of its business-banking division that focuses on firms with revenue of $20 million and below.

American Capital Partners has recruited two Raymond James analysts to launch a research unit focused on small and mid-cap banks in the New York area.

Wintrust Financial in Chicago has formed a division to focus on the city's start-up community.

Northwest Bancshares in Warren, Pa., has bought B.J. Petruso Agency in Meadville, Pa.

City Holding in Charleston, W. Va., has sold its insurance division to The Hilb Group, a broker based in Richmond, Va.

Stage Stores, a department store chain based in in Houston, has beefed up its payment security with technology from Chase Paymentech and Ingenico.