Robert Barba

Northwest Bancshares Inc. in Warren, Pa., said Tuesday that it is closing its Florida operation. The $8.1 billion-asset company said its board had authorized the closing of its three Florida branches.

Signature Bank in New York said Tuesday that it had earned $30.3 million in the fourth quarter, up 44% from a year earlier.

With regulators catching flak for taking too long to close "zombie" institutions, the failure of United Western Bank seemed atypically quick.

Despite having private-equity commitments, the $2 billion-asset United Western Bank in Denver failed Friday. Regulators also closed banks in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Despite having private-equity commitments, the $2 billion-asset United Western Bank in Denver failed Friday. Regulators also closed banks in the Carolinas and Georgia.

Tennessee Commerce Bancorp Inc. in Franklin said its fourth-quarter earnings fell 56% from a year earlier, to $553,000, as noninterest expenses increased.

Prosperity Bancshares Inc. in Houston earned $32.8 million in the fourth quarter, up 7.3% from a year earlier, as credit costs subsided significantly, it said Friday.

The $4.2 billion-asset company said that, after failing to comply with minimum market capitalization and stock price rules, its shares would no longer trade on the NYSE.

Less than two months after completing two small acquisitions, People's United in Bridgeport, Conn., has struck again with a $493 million deal for Danvers Bancorp.

Fourth-quarter earnings at Republic Bancorp Inc. in Louisville, Ky., were up 15% from a year earlier, to $4.4 million as credit costs fell.

Virginia Commerce Bancorp Inc.'s fourth-quarter earnings rose, but fell short of analysts' expectations.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is targeting directors and executives of another failed bank, but this time the agency has a guilty plea to back its claims of mismanagement.

Losses are shrinking at Mercantile Bank Corp. in Grand Rapids, Mich. The $1.6 billion-asset company reported Tuesday that it narrowed its fourth-quarter loss by 85% from a year earlier, to $5.3 million.

Naugatuck Valley Financial Corp. in Naugatuck, Conn., is again planning a second-step conversion. Naugatuck Valley said late Friday that it would sell the 60% of itself currently held by its mutual holding company in an offering in the second quarter.

North American Financial Holdings Inc. is one step closer to having its flagship bank. The bank holding company, which is backed by $900 million of equity from various investors, received approval Friday from the Federal Reserve to buy an 85% ownership stake in Capital Bank Corp. of Raleigh, N.C.

The $2.2 billion-asset United Western said in a Jan. 12 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had entered into its sixth forbearance agreement on a $16.25 million line of credit with the New York banking company.

For the first time in years, there is some optimism about community banks' results ahead of the quarterly reporting season.

For the first time in years, there is some optimism about community banks' results ahead of the quarterly reporting season.

Investors hoping that dividend increases expected at large banks will trickle down to community banks are probably out of luck.

Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Rosemont, Ill., is positioning itself to raise more capital. The $4.6 billion-asset company filed a shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday to raise as much as $175 million.