A regulatory report released this summer helped fuel hopes that banks were finally beginning to loosen up on making mortgage loans. But since then strategists say there is no evidence that an easing of credit standards is taking place.

DocMagic has acquired eSignSystems, the electronic signature and e-vault division of Wave Systems Corp., for $1.2 million, the companies announced Thursday.

Foreclosure filings increased in the third quarter but were down on a monthly basis, according to RealtyTrac’s latest Foreclosure Market Report.

Sandy Spring Bancorp in Olney, Md., posted lower third-quarter earnings as expenses rose and net interest income declined.

Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson's office on Wednesday sued Texas-based Apex Merchant Group LLC for using "bait and switch" tactics against small businesses.

Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., reported an increase in quarterly profit on the strength of its loan growth.

PrivateBancorp in Chicago reported higher earnings in the third quarter primarily thanks to loan growth.

Buoyed by interest income growth and large gains on the sales of loans and securities, First Republic Bank in San Francisco reported a 20% increase in profits in the third quarter when compared to the same period last year.

American Express Co. is pulling new levers to build its business with small merchants and drive mobile wallet adoption, emphasizing its work with Apple Pay.

BB&T in Winston-Salem, N.C., reported higher quarterly earnings despite flat revenue.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati reported lower earnings because of a decline in mortgage revenue and a negative valuation adjustment on a payments subsidiary.

Profits at Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., rose in the third quarter, on gains from its recent acquisition of Sterling Financial.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is urging policymakers to reconsider how student loan debt is treated under the bankruptcy code.

Demand for commercial real estate and business loans continued to rebound in many regions of the country over the past six weeks, the Federal Reserve Board said Wednesday.

Market tumult and a disappointing third-quarter revenue report Wednesday loomed larger over Bank of America, putting it in a bind unique among the nation's megabanks.

American Express Co. said third-quarter profit rose 8.1 percent, beating analysts' estimates, as customer spending increased.

Patriot National Bancorp in Stamford, Conn., will recognize a one-time gain of $16.6 million in third quarter profits, due to the partial reversal of its valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

Regional banks are doing their best to hold down expenses, compete for quality loans and generate more fee income, but until the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, their quarterly profits will remain sluggish, bankers and analysts say.

Pennant Management, which handles assets for community banks and other clients, disclosed that it could be holding up to $179 million in fake USDA-insured loans. Industry observers said the firm's failure to take certain precautions, along with weaknesses in the secondary market for USDA loans, invited fraud.

A community bank in Massachusetts has opened a branch that's a microcosm of forward-looking trends in retail bank design. Emphasis on the "micro" part.