The numbers are better but still disappointing for such a healthy economy, lamented executives from large U.S. banks. Some are scratching their heads, some are remaining upbeat about the second half of the year, and others are focusing on Plan B.

Seneca-Cayuga Bancorp wants a limited-use charter to maneuver around a New York law that bars mutuals from working with municipalities.

The Canadian banks' second-quarter profits were also boosted by double-digit income growth at their U.S. operations.

Senior executives from Barclays, Bank of America and other big banks urged women to aim high, take chances on challenging jobs and — perhaps most important — provide support to other high-performing female colleagues instead of viewing them as a threat.

Banks were helped by better loan spreads thanks to higher net interest margins, but the recently enacted tax cut helped boost profits by 27% from a year earlier.

Combined with another key change that would give banks more leeway in trading, the revisions on hedging could further blunt the impact of the rule named after a former Fed chairman.

News that Wells commercial banking employees improperly altered client documents will likely embolden the most vocal critics of
CEO Tim Sloan, who they say can't seem to resolve Wells' lingering problems.