Robert Barba

Webster Financial Corp. in Waterbury, Conn., on Friday reported a $33.5 million first-quarter profit, compared with a $6 million loss a year earlier, as credit costs subsided.

Commerce Bancshares Inc. in Kansas City, Mo., reported a 37% increase in first-quarter earnings from a year earlier, to $60.5 million, because of a dramatic drop in credit costs.

Wintrust Financial Corp. in Lake Forest, Ill., has acquired certain assets and liabilities of River City Mortgage LLC, a mortgage bank in Bloomington, Minn.

ENB Financial Corp. in Ephrata, Pa., reported that first-quarter earnings rose 15.6% from a year earlier, to $1.7 million, as the company lowered its funding cost while credit costs remained stable.

Cardinal Financial Corp. in Tysons Corner, Va., reported that its first-quarter profit rose 37% from a year earlier, to $5.2 million, as the company reported lower credit costs and higher income.

Century Bancorp Inc. in Medford, Mass., reported on Tuesday that its first-quarter earnings rose 9% from a year earlier, to $3.7 million.

Premier Financial Bancorp in Huntington, W.Va., has consolidated five of its banks into one that it has branded Premier Bank.

There are 7,604 banks and thrifts in this country, and the core mission of nearly all of them is to lend locally. As currently structured, however, nearly 40% of these institutions are barred from taking part in the Small Business Lending Fund, the government's latest attempt to stimulate the national economy from the community level on up.

Baltimore County Savings Bank is looking to switch to a Maryland chartered bank from a federal thrift.

First Place Financial Corp. in Warren, Ohio, has deferred payments on its subordinated debt and preferred shares issued to the Treasury Department to save cash and comply with an enforcement action.

National Bancorp Holdings, a newly created holding company backed by brothers Stephen and John Calk, bought Generations Bank from Armed Forces Bank in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

By the end of this month the Office of Thrift Supervision wants Carver, a minority-owned bank that serves underbanked communities in New York City, to increase capital ratios by at least $20 million. Analysts, however, believe Carver may need as much as $35 million to properly repair itself.

BankAtlantic Bancorp Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said in its annual report that mounting legal problems could have an adverse effect on its financial results.

Superior Bancorp in Birmingham, Ala., said it must continue to delay filing its 2010 report with the Securities and Exchange Commission until it addresses issues with certain appraisals.

For thrifts that have long harbored ambitions of converting to commercial banks, an upcoming regulatory merger is forcing hard decisions.

Capitol Bancorp said its annual report that it was notified on March 30 that it would receive a subpoena from the SEC's Chicago office concerning its third-quarter reporting.

Home Bancorp Inc. in Lafayette, La., has agreed to buy GS Financial Corp. of Matairie, La.

The $4.5 billion-asset Chicago company said Tuesday that it raised $25 million in a private placement with investors such as Harrison Steans, a former chairman of LaSalle National Bank; Jennifer Steans, the chairman of USAmeribancorp Inc. in Largo, Fla.; and Bruce Taylor, chairman of Taylor Capital. Investors also included other members of the Steans family and Prairie Capital.

First Defiance Financial Corp. in Defiance, Ohio, has $19.6 million of fresh equity. The $2.04 billion-asset company said Tuesday that it sold 1.6 million shares, including 208,800 shares for over-allotments, at $13.25 a share.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said last week it had issued prompt corrective action orders to four of Capitol's 24 banks, including its three largest, in February. The directive to each was clear: Sell stock to raise capital to adequate levels, or find a buyer.