Corus Bankshares Inc. achieved record earnings in 2006, but nonperforming loans are up, loan originations are down, and investors are getting nervous.

Umpqua Holdings Corp. of Portland, Ore., is continuing to bulk up in California by acquiring North Bay Bancorp in Napa for $156 million in stock.

Shares of Alliance Bankshares Corp. of Chantilly, Va., stock outperformed the Nasdaq bank index last year, and the research group at Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett Inc. expects the shares to continue to do so.

Provident Bankshares Corp. in Baltimore said Thursday that its fourth-quarter net income fell 41%, to $11.3 million, after a previously announced $5 million charge.

MIDWEST

Fulton Financial Corp. in Lancaster, Pa., plans to continue to focus on organic growth this year but would consider an acquisition if the right deal came along, its top executive said Wednesday.

Blue Valley Ban Corp. of Overland Park, Kan., announced Wednesday that its fourth-quarter earnings rose 53% from a year earlier, to $2.1 million.

Camden National Bank in Maine has found that new branches take five to seven years to become profitable in its sparsely populated home state, so it has developed an alternate strategy for entering new markets: small-business financial centers.

LNB Bancorp Inc. in Lorain, Ohio, announced Tuesday that it has agreed to buy Morgan Bancorp Inc. of Hudson, Ohio, for $26.5 million in cash and stock.

Lafayette Federal Credit Union's abrupt decision to abandon its plan to convert to a bank is the second straight victory for the National Center for Member Trust, a little-known organization that helps mobilize opposition to credit union conversions.

The banking industry is getting a second chance to voice its opposition to a proposal that would broaden the Farm Credit System's lending authority.

AUSTIN — Payday lenders in Texas have it pretty good — a special charter lets them charge above-market rates and operate virtually unregulated, but a lobbyist for out-of-state payday lenders hopes the Legislature will make it lucrative for them to do business without this charter.

Lafayette Federal Credit Union, in Kensington, Md., has scrapped its plans to convert to a mutual thrift.

With its latest commitment, of $6 million, BankUnited Financial Corp. of Coral Gables, Fla., has become the largest single investor in a mutual fund that helps support community development initiatives.

UCBH Holdings Inc. of San Francisco has struck its first whole-bank deal for a New York banking company, and the acquisition would help it realize its longtime goal of expanding in mainland China.

Florida Bank Group Inc. in Tampa announced Thursday that it has a deal to buy Bank of Tallahassee for a combination of cash and stock, though it did not disclose the price.

A new Web site that encourages people to e-mail tips on bank robberies has already helped law enforcement officials in Maryland nab a suspect.

Gateway Financial Holdings Inc. of Elizabeth City, N.C., has agreed to buy Bank of Richmond in Virginia for $55.8 million in cash and stock.

The following graphic, which appeared on Jan 8, understated the startup numbers for Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The corrected figures are included below.