The San Francisco bank's solid gains in auto, business and other lending could bode well for other large and regional banks, analysts say.

Banks should brace for smaller mergers as technology vendors look to provide more one-stop shopping.

More than $23 million owed to Lancaster County, Pa.'s Adult Probation and Parole Department was on the table last May when seven collection agencies competed for the right to pursue the delinquent accounts, according to information provided Monday after Lancaster Newspapers filed a Right-to-Know request.

The Lafayette, La., bank ended its M&A break Monday by announcing an agreement to buy a nearby rival, Teche Holding. It says more deals are likely, adding to the rise of buyers based in the South.

Banks could save money -- and avoid having to sell to, or buy other, banks -- by sharing the costs of compliance checks, account databases and even branch space, a new report from the accounting firm EY suggests.

The Federal Reserve will allow Hong Kong-based Wing Lung Bank to expand in California as Chinese lenders boost their U.S. presence.

A breakdown of M&A announcements in the financial services industry for the week ended Jan. 11.

New York Community Bancorp CEO Joseph Ficalora continues to look for a transformative acquisition to cross $50 billion in assets -- even if it invites extra regulatory scrutiny.

Iberiabank Corp. (IBKC) in Lafayette, La., has agreed to buy Teche Holding (TSH) in New Iberia, La.

The $4.7 billion-asset company and certain investors are planning to raise up to $230 million through an initial public offering.

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Merchants Bancorp in Hillsboro, Ohio, has agreed to buy certain assets and assume certain liabilities of a DCB Financial (DCBF) branch.

Two private banks in Georgia skillfully used a state process meant to protect the interests of everyday investors to hasten consideration of their merger application. Some other states have similar laws.

CEO Dan Rollins has faced external pressure to trim expenses. Eliminating overlap with Ouachita Bancshares, his first acquisition since joining BancorpSouth, could help him do that.

The Dallas company would is seeking to buy the remaining shares in SWS Group that it does not already own.

First Niagara Financial (FNFG) in Buffalo, N.Y., said its chief banking officer is leaving.

Old National Bancorp says it learned its lesson from the recent defection of some important lenders from a bank it agreed to buy last fall, and it incorporated those in structuring its deal announced this week for United Bancorp.

The nation's largest bank may be dealing with a never-ending run of bad press, but analysts say its fundamentals are sound and still trades at a discount to its peers. They also predict a strong year for banks in the $5 billion to $10 billion range, particularly South Carolina's First Financial Holdings.

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC would be open to takeover offers for its U.S. subsidiary as it prepares the division for an initial public offering this year, the unit's chief executive officer said.

Coastway Bancorp in Cranston, R.I., is planning to raise roughly $48.3 million in its conversion to a 100% stock-owned company.