Banking activity clung to a modest level of expansion in July according to the latest reading of American Banker's Index of Banking Activity, edging up from a relatively weak reading a month earlier.

The IBA Composite Index rose to 55.4 in July compared to 54.9 in June. That June reading had been the weakest for the IBA since January.

A noteworthy contributor to the gain came from a rise in the component that tracks real estate conditions across respondents' local markets. That component climbed to a reading of 57.3, up from 54.2 in June, with bankers in the Northeast and West signaling the strongest improvements.

The July survey was not uniformly positive however. Respondents continue to report pressure on pricing for new loan business, and the July survey also saw some falloff in the pace of growth for consumer-loan applications, particularly in the South.

In addition, bankers continue to express frustration with net interest margins, a concern unlikely to abate soon given uncertainty about the Federal Reserve's plans for interest rates over the next few months.

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Previous natural disasters in the Gulf region have taught banks like MidSouth, Regions and Hancock how to swing into action to help customers and manage sudden risks.

Citizens Community Bancorp in Eau Claire, Wis., said it plans to close four branches in Walmart stores in mid-November.

Kinderhook Bank Corp. in New York said Wednesday that Scott Shallo, a member of the board since 2006, succeeded Brian Kelly as chairman.

Heather Cox is moving to USAA; female regulators are gaining prominence in the online lending conversation; and asset managers are still fighting sexism at work (but then again, who isn’t?).

Allied Bank in Mulberry, Ark., has been ordered to immediately raise capital or find a buyer to address its precarious capital position.

Banks in cities such as Seattle and New York are getting creative with branching, adding some that are smaller than modest apartments.

Pretty much every merger of insurers and banks since the Citi-Travelers deal has come undone, but today's conditions support new-style marriages that make sense for shareholders and customers.

United Bankshares in Charleston, W.Va., has agreed to buy Cardinal Financial in Tysons Corner, Va.

The spike in the Libor rate is a boon for banks that have lots of floating-rate loans tied to the well-known benchmark. Shifts in money market funds are the driver, with the big question being how long the run will last.

The $185 million-asset bank said in a press release Tuesday that it is offering 800,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $7.50 each.

United Bankshares is in talks to acquire rival Washington-area lender Cardinal Financial, according to people familiar with the matter, as regional banks seek to pair up to counter low interest rates and mounting regulatory costs.

Net interest margins have only gotten tighter this year. Here is a look at the reasons why, how much some banks are hurting and what certain institutions are doing to relieve the pressure.

Needham Bank in Massachusetts is searching for a new chief executive just 14 months after its current leader took over.

Old Dominion National Bank in McLean, Va., has hired Stephanie Lykins-Harvey, formerly of Cardinal Bank in McLean, as director of retail banking.

The $1.1 billion-asset bank said in a press release Monday that it appointed Ron Coben to become its interim chief executive, succeeding Jeffrey Wilkinson, who resigned "to pursue his next entrepreneurial challenge.

Possible bad outcomes from the slowdown in bank chartering include less financial access in rural areas and further concentration of industry assets in just a few large banks.

Basel III could deal some serious blows to capital levels at First NBC Bank in New Orleans. The big question is how large will the issue become over the next two years.

Sterling Bancorp in Montebello, N.Y., has sold its mortgage business to Freedom Mortgage of Mount Laurel, N.J., for an undisclosed price.