For community banks looking to gain scale and improve efficiency, their options are generally to acquire or be acquired.

Dick Kovacevich had a clear philosophy at Norwest and Wells Fargo: Money moves.

Talk about odd timing.

Natcom Bancshares Inc. in Superior, Wis., said it has agreed to buy Superior Bancorp.

The Office of Thrift Supervision has found Imperial Savings and Loan Association "critically undercapitalized" and ordered the Martinsville, Va., thrift to sell itself.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has classified Metropolitan National Bank in Little Rock a "troubled institution" and ordered it to reduce problem assets and improve its capital ratios.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC

Community bankers are once again pushing Congress to further amend the tax code so that more banks would qualify as tax-advantaged Subchapter S corporations.

Republic First Bancorp Inc. in Philadelphia added Theodore J. Flocco Jr. to its board of directors.

Texas Banking Commissioner Randall James announced Monday that he plans to retire Aug. 31.

Banks that say they plan to go private almost always do so, but a Missouri company that wants to delist its stock is facing resistance from shareholders.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency has classified Metropolitan National Bank in Little Rock a "troubled institution" and ordered it to reduce problem assets, improve its capital ratios, and address the concentration risk in its commercial real estate portfolio.

Shares of United American Bank fell Tuesday after the San Mateo, Calif., company said it expects to report a loss for the second quarter as a result of a customer's bankruptcy.

Sometimes patience pays off.

Hanmi Financial Corp. in Los Angeles has hired Jay S. Yoo, the former U.S. head of South Korea's Woori Bank, as its president and chief executive officer.

Firstbank Corp. in Alma, Mich., said Friday that it expects to add $3.1 million to its loan-loss provision for the second quarter.

Vineyard National Bancorp in Corona, Calif., said its initial efforts to shore up capital after losing millions of dollars on bad residential construction loans have failed.

Terminated bank acquisitions are rarely revived, but Summit Financial Group Inc. said it wanted the troubled Greater Atlantic Financial Corp. in Reston, Va., too much to let go.