A Tennessee community bank investor has acquired a majority stake in AB&T Financial in Gastonia, N.C.

City Holding in Charleston, W.Va., has agreed to buy three branches in Kentucky from American Founders Bank in Lexington.

Most banks are interchangeable in the eyes of the average consumer. But a recent survey finds that mission-oriented banks distinguish themselves with greater employee diversity and a stronger commitment to lending in low- and moderate-income communities.

The South Carolina bank has been shedding assets in recent months after suffering millions of dollars in losses in recent years. The bank ousted its management team last year due to poor financial performance and conflicts with investors.

Banks need to keep a lid on personnel-related expenses. But many of them are missing out on opportunities to dig deeper into the data and determine the appropriate hours and staffing for their retail locations.

U.S. banks enjoyed their ninth straight quarter of total profits exceeding $35 billion, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s first-quarter report on the industry's health. The FDIC said the growth in net income was "broad-based", spurred by a solid increase in net operating revenue, while community banks once again outpaced the industry at large. Here are some key takeaways.

A growing number of banks employ chief marketing officers who manage multimillion-dollar budgets and are involved in high-level corporate decision-making. The pressure's on to come up with creative ways to differentiate their brands and connect with customers.

Aside from shoestring budgets, the biggest problem for many community banks is that their marketing programs have gone stale, experts say. For too many, marketing remains bounded by three time-worn pillars: advertising, direct mail and public relations.

Former Wells Fargo Chief Executive Richard Kovacevich on Friday said that "regulation is killing small banks."

While other banks build fancy modern skyscrapers or look to shrink the size of their branches, Dollar Bank in Pittsburgh has poured its resources into restoring a 144-year-old building downtown. The bank says the building's fame gives it a marketing edge.

The Fed finalized a rule increasing an asset-size threshold that lets smaller banks finance deals with up to 75% in debt. That benefit, along with an exemption from Basel III capital rules, could prompt some bankers to second-guess short-term growth as they weigh their options.

First Bank in Wilmington, N.C., opened a new branch in Jacksonville, N.C., earlier this week, that was designed to be environmentally friendly.

Wells Fargo will lay off 89 workers at its legal-order processing group in Philadelphia.

Federal regulators are working to streamline call reports for community banks in response to industry complaints that some of the requirements are unnecessary and increasingly burdensome.

Heartland Financial in Dubuque, Iowa, has agreed to buy Premier Valley Bank in Fresno, Calif.

Anthony Weagley is starting to leave his stamp on Malvern Bancorp in Paoli, Pa.

Mercantile Bank in Grand Rapids, Mich., has named a new chief executive for its bank unit as it overhauls its leadership in the wake of the retirement of its chairman.

Pacific Premier Bancorp in Irvine, Calif., has named Allen Nicholson chief financial officer.

American State Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to acquire three Kansas branches from Simmons First National.

Cheviot Financial in Cincinnati said that Chairman Robert L. “Bob” Thomas died unexpectedly on Saturday.