Commercial lending

Apart from a one-time adjustment for deferred taxes, the Dallas company reported strong gains in net interest income and meaningful improvement in all of its key performance ratios.

Weak loan growth, a $3.25 billion litigation accrual and other costs tied to the phony-accounts saga all added up to a messy fourth quarter for the San Francisco bank.

Executives of large banks told investors and analysts what they wanted to hear Friday when they said they plan to increase returns to shareholders.

The Kennesaw, Ga.-based company, which targets borrowers with blemished credit records, has acquired LoanHero, which specializes in loans at the cash register.

Banks that have flocked to the business because of higher yields and loan diversity stand to benefit if clients use tax savings to upgrade equipment.

The CDFI formerly known as Progreso Financiero targets consumers with little or no credit history.

The payments company will pay $321 million for Crestmark Bank, a commercial lender that focuses on asset-based lending, equipment finance and government-guaranteed loans.

The late-payment rate on loans frequently used to consolidate credit card debt hit its highest level in more than four years.

The company tapped a new president for the business, which it will also rebrand, after hiring a team from Scottrade Bank in Missouri.

The Carson City-based credit union now has three wholly owned subsidiaries.