Buying Eagle National Bank would give Stroudsburg, Pa.-based ESSA an entrée into Philly's fast-growing western suburbs.

The bank plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including possible acquisitions such as potential FDIC-assisted transactions. Iberiabank may also use the proceeds for working capital and for investments in subsidiaries to support continued growth.

United Community Banks in Blairsville, Ga., has filed a shelf registration for senior notes to help pay for its acquisition of a South Carolina bank.

ESSA Bancorp in Stroudsburg, Pa., has agreed to buy Eagle National Bancorp in Upper Darby, Pa., for $25.3 million.

Lenders have increasingly turned to niche businesses, such as equipment financing, to differentiate themselves from competitors. Some banks, like Bank of the Cascades in Oregon, are choosing complicated specialties like aircraft financing that may scare off potential rivals.

While rising rates may temporarily improve net interest margin and profits, they will not increase bank stock prices for at least three reasons.

Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have promised the Obama administration to invest in, and provide other support for, efforts to fight climate change.

ASB Bancorp in Asheville, N.C., is facing a potential proxy fight from New Jersey activist investor Lawrence Seidman.

Equity Bancshares in Wichita, Kan., has agreed to buy First Independence in Independence, Kan. The companies expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter, after approval from regulators and from First Independence's shareholders.

Southern States Bancshares in Anniston, Ala., has agreed to buy Columbus Community Bank in Georgia for $21.4 million.

CIT Group in New York reported lower second-quarter profit, as higher expenses and a drop in fee income offset loan growth. The sale of a student-loan business last year partly skewed the results.

Flagstar Bank far outpaced expectations for its second-quarter results due to high loan sales and a strengthened portfolio from the subtraction of lower performing loans.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors recently challenged college students to examine how community banks survived the financial crisis, and the contest highlighted innovative strategies used by Main Street banks such as Bank of American Fork in Utah.

Blockchain technology can be used to help financial-services institutions accomplish their most important goal — improving customer service, Blythe Masters said Tuesday.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group plans to raise as much as $1.9 billion in the latest sale of shares in its U.S. unit Citizens Financial Group to investors.

Fair-value accounting and merger costs took big bites out of Western Alliance Bancorp. in Phoenix last quarter.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended July 25.

Independent Bank Group in McKinney, Texas, has agreed to buy Grand Bank in Dallas for $80.1 million.

Suncrest Bank in Visalia, Calif., has agreed to buy Sutter Community Bank in Yuba City, Calif., for $9.4 million in stock.

Eagle Bancorp in Bethesda, Md., has sold its indirect auto loan portfolio to MainStreet Bank in Fairfax, Va.