Paul Davis

The South Carolina bank has been shedding assets in recent months after suffering millions of dollars in losses in recent years. The bank ousted its management team last year due to poor financial performance and conflicts with investors.

Heartland Financial in Dubuque, Iowa, has agreed to buy Premier Valley Bank in Fresno, Calif.

Southwest Bancorp in Stillwater, Okla., has agreed to buy First Commercial Bancshares in Edmond, Okla.

Green Bancorp in Houston has agreed to buy Patriot Bancshares, saying it will pay $139 million in common stock for the $1.3 billion-asset parent of Patriot Bank.

Valley National Bancorp in Wayne, N.J., has agreed to buy CNLBancshares in Orlando, Fla.

Harvard Illinois Bancorp, which has struggled with persistent activist pressure and exposure to a fraud scheme, is preparing to wind down its operations.

Isabella Bank in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., has agreed to buy a branch from Independent Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida in Stuart has acquired First Growth Capital, a firm that handles receivables funding.

Prudential Bancorp in Philadelphia is setting the stage for a new chief executive.

WashingtonFirst Bankshares in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy direct mortgage lender 1st Portfolio Holding Corp. in Fairfax, Va.

Flushing Financial in Uniondale, N.Y., has sold three branch properties in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Investors have varied expectations of how banks should build and deploy capital. Ultimately, management teams need to stick to their growth plans rather than serve the whims of specific shareholders.

Baylake Corp. in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., has agreed to buy New Bancshares in Kewaunee, Wis.

Hanmi Financial in Los Angeles is planning to close four branches.

Premier Financial Bancorp in Huntington, W.Va., has completed its exit from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Parkway Bancorp in Harwood Heights, Ill., has agreed to buy Park Bancorp in Chicago.

Bank of the Ozarks in Little Rock, Ark., has agreed to buy Bank of the Carolinas in Mocksville, N.C.

Simmons First National in Pine Bluff, Ark., has agreed to buy Ozark Trust and Investment Corp. in Springfield, Mo.

Pinnacle Financial Partners in Nashville, Tenn., has agreed to buy Magna Bank in Memphis, Tenn.

Signature Bank in New York is poised to start lending to city governments. The move is well-timed; the wind-down of GE Capital removes a competitor and provides Signature with a chance to buy assets and hire salespeople.