The companies said in a press release Monday that "irreconcilable differences of opinion regarding a number of matters" had developed and, as such, the boards had decided to terminate their agreement.

Hedge fund Hildene Capital fights carve-out agreement, arguing that if BankAtlantic wants to sell most of its assets, the buyer has to assume its debt.

Toronto-Dominion's U.S. bank is slowly carving out a wider wedge of the tumultuous market for retailers' credit cards.

Taylor Capital Group Inc. in Chicago is looking to add up to $72 million in common equity that it says would strengthen its capital position and give it the flexibility to pursue growth opportunities.

Nara Bancorp and Center Financial Corp. will operate under the name BBCN Bank with a new corporate logo after the merger of the two companies is completed.

Coming off its 13th consecutive quarterly loss and struggling to meet capital requirements set by regulators, Atlantic Coast Financial Corp. in Jacksonville, Fla., is considering selling itself to another bank.

Atlantic Coast Financial Corp. said it will explore strategic options, including a potential business combination, after it didn't meet minimum capital requirements and has posted four straight quarters of losses.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. agreed to acquire Penson Worldwide Inc.'s Australian clearing-services unit.

Banks are going to need to make hard decisions to exit some traditional businesses. The question is how to do it to maximize what you get at the exit, and in such a way that remaining businesses can thrive.

Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty will introduce legislation that will give the federal government the ability to approve or cancel planned purchases by the nation's top banks, he told CTV television.

Joseph Longino, the point man on accounting and regulatory matters at Sandler O'Neill & Partners LP, will join the advisory council of the Financial Accounting Standards Board next year.

Bank of Ireland, the nation's largest bank by assets, may sell Burdale Finance, a unit at that extends loans secured against assets, to Wells Fargo, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Park National in Ohio, is selling its most of its Florida operations for a fraction of what it paid for the bank in 2007. Analysts say this closes a bad chapter for the company, which could re-emerge as a buyer in the next few years.

The Fed's approval marks the first time a prepaid card company has been allowed to buy a bank. Fed Gov. Duke objected, warning that the deal was too risky.

BNC Bancorp in Thomasville, N.C., announced Wednesday that it would close four of the 10 branches it inherited last month when it acquired the failed Blue Ridge Savings Bank of Asheville, N.C.

Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) Inc., a Norfolk, Va.-based debt buyer, has formed a new subsidiary, PRA Professional Services LLC, to provide auditing and revenue discovery in the private sector.

Deutsche Bank AG on Tuesday signaled that it might sell large parts of its asset management division, saying the activities are under review as changes in the regulatory as well as competitive landscape and associated costs are affecting the business and growth prospects.

Mary Lynn Lenz will lose her job as CEO of Professional Business Bank after it merges with another California bank. In the bank M&A world, that's a compliment. More opportunities await turnaround artists like her in deals-rich California.

Big banks can win on price, but small banks say commercial lending is too attractive to give up on. Some community bankers are hunting for customers that bigger banks might discount and for loan officers displaced by M&A.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is buying a 4.7% stake in the London Metal Exchange from bankrupt broker MF Global Holdings for GBP25 million ($39 million), three people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.